Alto Mare: Fated Sequel
by Guardian Samuel
Summary: Ash and Latias have finally settled down in Pallet town, but fate would have it otherwise. Roped in by his old rival, Ash adventures to a region he is unfamiliar with to perform research on a phenomenon known as Mega Evolution. However, Mega Evolution is not all that awaits him in Kalos.
1. Chapter 1

The sun slowly crawled over the horizon as if protesting the start of a new day. Ash might have agreed had that been the case. Rays of sunlight shone through the window and assaulted his eyes. Grunting in protest, Ash turned over on his other side to escape the sun's wrath. He felt a soft sensation as he turned over and knew Latias was sleeping beside him. Listening to her rhythmic breathing was one of the most calming sounds Ash had ever heard. Just as the young trainer was about to fall asleep, a sound began resounding throughout the house. Ash made a deep guttural noise in protest and sat up despite his grogginess. Shifting his legs over the side of the bed, he took a few seconds to take everything in. It had only been a week since Ash and Latias had moved into their new house. Ash chose to build the house in a fashion strikingly similar to his mother's house. The phone rang once again, eliciting a sigh from the young man.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm coming." He mumbled.

Grabbing a plain white t-shirt, he headed downstairs and sat down in front of the phone. He jabbed at the video icon bringing up a familiar face.

"Gary? It's barely 7 in the morning. What are you calling for so early in the morning?" Ash asked rubbing his eyes.

"Sorry, but I needed to speak with you as soon as I could. Would it be too much to ask you to drop by the lab sometime today? Sooner, rather than later would be nice." the young scientist replied.

Ash focused his eyes a little and frowned.

"Were you up all night again? Whatever you're researching, it's going to end up killing you before you can find anything."

Gary chuckled weakly. "Uh, yeah, you may be right, but this time was worth it. I'll tell you more when you come by."

Ash started to protest that he never agreed to drop by, but the call had been dropped. He pondered recalling, but came to the conclusion that Gary would most likely ignore the call. With a grumbling stomach, Ash made his way into the kitchen. Having worked in his mother's diner for the past few months, he had picked up a few new culinary skills. While nowhere near the level of Brock's, it was still edible. He threw together a simple breakfast of pancakes and scrambled eggs for Latias and himself. Setting her plate on the kitchen table, he brought his own with him into the family room where he turned on the TV. He began flipping through the channels out of boredom. After a few minutes, Ash heard a soft coo from upstairs. He looked over at a sleepy Latias, slowly drifting down the stairs. The Eon Pokémon chirped happily, noticing the food on the table.

"_**-ank you"**_ she said, struggling to successfully bridge their minds.

Ash smiled at her. "Don't push yourself. We both know it's hard for you to concentrate in the morning."

Latias cooed and nuzzled the young trainer. For a while, the only noises heard was the clinking of silverware and the disgruntled voice of the morning newscaster. Ash took a slight interest in the current story of a recent ferry accident.

"_**Something wrong?" **_Latias asked staring at the television from above him.

"Not really, just some old memories. Did you ever hear about the St. Anne incident?"

Latias shook her head.

"It was a ship that got caught in a nasty storm. The captain decided the best course of action was to abandon ship. So, all of the passengers safely made it off, except for a few. Brock, Misty, and I were knocked unconscious by the violent shaking. The ship had flipped while we were out and we barely made it with our lives. It was an eventful experience to say the least."

"_**That sounds horrifying…"**_

Ash jabbed the "Off" button on the remote and stood up.

"It was. Putting aside bad memories, I'm going to go visit Gary. He has something to show me. What about you?"

Latias frowned. _**"I don't know. I was going to see if Delia needed any help in the diner."**_

"Today's Friday, right? The part-timers will be there for the busy hours." Ash replied making his way upstairs. Latias followed him up to their room where Ash began rifling through drawers. He donned a black t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans along with his signature black and white shoes.

"Something feels off… Oh, right! My vest!" he exclaimed pulling a blue vest from the closet.

Latias smiled at the familiar outfit_**. "You look just as you did when I first found you in the Tour de Altomare."**_

"And you're just as beautiful as you were when I first saw you in the Garden." He replied leaning in and stealing a kiss from her. Latias blushed and took his hand in her claw.

"_**Gary's waiting, right?"**_

Ash smiled warmly and nodded. "Yeah, let's go."

Ash and Latias, who had transformed, sat quietly on a paper strewn couch as Gary fumbled around the lab trying to find his research notes. A victorious yell came from him as he tossed a small folder on the table. Ash picked it up and found it surprisingly light. He looked at it curiously as he read the title of the research.

"Mega Evolution? Is this what you've been studying for the past few months?"

Gary motioned for him to open it.

Ash set it down on the table and flipped it open. Inside were a few papers along with a couple of pictures fastened in place by a paperclip. Ash began reading one of the papers and then picked up one of the pictures. Latias seemed curious, so he handed the other picture to her to look at. His picture showed the blurry image of a Pokémon that looked familiar.

"Isn't this an Absol?" Ash asked curiously. "I've never seen one like this."

"Mega Absol, to be precise." Gary replied.

"Mega Absol? I thought Absol couldn't evolve?"

Gary nodded. "You're absolutely correct. Absol can't evolve, but this isn't evolution. It's more like a-"

"Temporary transformation." Latias finished.

Gary nodded and continued his explanation. "Mega Evolution is something unheard of here in the Kanto region. In fact, as far as I know, the only region with any kind of knowledge on the matter is the Kalos region. Do you know of it?"

"The Kalos region? I've never even heard of it." Ash replied.

"That's probably because it's its own independent region. From what I've read, they broke off from the United Regions nearly 8 decades ago. The region is entirely self-sustaining. Actually, there is one company that deals with them."

"Which company is that?" Ash asked curiously.

"Silph Co. The leading company in Pokéball technology. In exchange for the rights to use their Pokéballs, Kalos has to donate a certain percentage of their revenue every year to Silph. Silph even went as far as establishing PokeMarts with inventory you normally wouldn't see in Kalos."

"Wait, so there's a chance that one of my Pokéballs were made in Kalos?" Ash asked confused plucking one off of his belt. Latias glared at the ball with contempt.

"No, don't get the wrong idea. The Pokéball factory in Kalos ships exclusively to businesses in Kalos. Silph still has their own factories here. All of your Pokéballs were made at Silph." Gary replied.

The young scientist faltered and sighed. "We've gotten off-topic here. Ash, there's a, uh, favor I want to ask of you."

Ash sat up and crossed his arms. "Depends on the favor."

Gary took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "I want you to travel to Kalos and research Mega Evolution for me!"

A deafening silence followed Gary's statement. Ash stared at the apprehensive scientist with no expression. Ash slowly stood up.

"Latias, we're going back to the house." He said quietly.

"Ash! Come on! You're the only one I can trust with this!" Gary pleaded.

Ash frowned. "You're asking me to leave Pallet Town, right after we finished moving in to our new house. Gary, I haven't even been home for a full year yet and you're asking me to leave?"

"I know! It's selfish of me, but you know Gramps is in a bad state! I'm the only one who can take over the lab if something were to happen!"

Ash hesitated. On one hand, he wanted to take Latias and head back home, but on the other hand, his friend needed his help. He looked over to Latias for help.

"I think we should help him." She said.

Ash groaned. "I knew you were going to say that."

The young trainer, who had retired from training looked down at Gary who was on the floor begging.

"You're asking me to give up on my retirement from being a Trainer. You're asking me to leave behind a peaceful life I've only just started to build. My mother started up the diner again because I was here to help out. I expect you to make sure that diner keeps running."

Gary looked up with wide eyes. "You mean?!"

Ash nodded. "I'll do it."


	2. Chapter 2

Ash waved to Latias as she ran down the dirt path. He had tasked her with informing his mother and Pikachu of their trip.

"You aren't going to be bringing Pikachu with you?" Gary asked surprised at the news.

"No, this journey has been harder on him than it has been for me. He's gone through a lot of pain and suffering because of my naivety as a trainer. I figure it's about time he got some rest from this hectic lifestyle." Ash replied as he sat down on the couch.

"Interesting. Who will you take with you then?"

"Charizard."

"That was fast." Gary mused.

Ash shrugged and craned his neck to look outside the window on the far side of the room.

"He and I go some ways back. Picked him up after he was abandoned by a trainer, we defeated the trainer, got his license revoked and he went on to become, arguably, my strongest partner."

Gary nodded his head having heard the story from his grandfather.

"Putting aside my party arrangement, let's get down to business." Ash said picking up the Absol folder once more. "What do you need me to do for you over there?"

"Right!" Gary stated. "Come over here for a bit."

Ash followed Gary over to a computer. The young scientist tapped away at the PC and pulled up numerous files.

"I've already told you that Kalos isn't a part of the United Regions, so transportation is kind of iffy. We'll need to find someone to take you there."

"No need to worry about that. I'll call in a favor with Skyla. She'll probably jump at the chance to fly to a new region." Ash replied reading the small words on the screen.

"Alright, if you have travel figured out, I suppose I should give this back to you now." Gary said handing him a small, rectangular device.

Ash gasped and snatched the device from his hands.

"No way! Dexter?! Are you for real?"

Gary nodded with a big smile.

"I thought you might like that. It's been refurbished and updated with all of the information from your previous entries along with personal information. The only thing you'll need to do with it is get it upgraded in Kalos."

Ash's smile faltered.

"How can I do that? Will they really trust me enough to give me access to their software?"

Gary tapped his nose and then proceeded to pull something out of his coat pocket. He held the item out towards Ash.

"When you arrive in Lumiose city, show this to a Professor Sycamore. Alongside being the leading researcher on Mega Evolution, he's also the regions designated Professor for the distribution of Pokédexes to trainers he thinks are capable."

Ash took the item he now recognized as a letter. There was a wax seal that kept it closed. He didn't spend long examining it before tucking it in a pocket.

"Anything else?" Ash asked.

"Two things, actually. I want you to take this."

Ash opened his palm and stared at the item Gary dropped into it.

"Wow. I've always wanted a marble." Ash said apathetically staring at the fluid design inside of it.

Gary chuckled. "This is worth a lot more than a marble Ashy boy. This thing cost a lot of time and effort to get my hands on."

"So, what is it?"

"A mega stone."

Ash scrunched his face up as he cleaned out his ears.

"I'm sorry, come again?"

Gary looked at him with an annoyed expression. "It's a mega stone. It's something that's required for Mega Evolution. I'm not sure why, but it is. This particular stone, oddly enough, is supposed to be for a Charizard."

Ash raised an eyebrow.

"Supposed to be?"

Gary looked to the side.

"The information may not be all that solid." He mumbled.

Ash sighed and stood up.

"Just when I thought I could lead a quiet life.

Gary smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry for springing this on you on such short notice. I would have loved to go myself, but…"

Ash laid a hand on his shoulder. "It's alright. My anger got the better of me back there. You were right before. You're needed here. I'll be back with your data before you know it."

"Oh right! I almost forgot!" Gary exclaimed making Ash jump in surprise. He pulled an odd looking device out of a box. It was a little larger than Ash's Pokédex with a small antennae attached to it.

"This is an energy reader. Use it to measure a Pokémon's power level when it mega evolves! Other than that, just figure out what makes Mega Evolution work."

For the third time in hardly an hour, Ash took the item from Gary. Before leaving, Ash went out to the labs backyard and picked up Charizard who gave him a very, very warm welcome. Him and Gary exchanged farewells before Ash left. The young champion made his way to his mother's house under the watchful eye of the sun. The warmth radiating from the giant ball of gas relaxed his nerves. Once he reached his destination, he was greeted by Mr. Mime who had seen him from the living room while sweeping. Ash thanked the Pokémon and stepped inside the familiar house. He stopped underneath the doorframe separating the kitchen and living room and leaned against it. Latias and Pikachu were having an intense game of Go Fish that he didn't want to interrupt. After a while, Latias let her head slide down to the table and sighed in defeat. Ash took this as his cue and rapped his knuckles on the doorframe. The red dragon's head immediately shot back up.

"_**That didn't take very long."**_She said floating out of her chair.

"There wasn't much to do. We're flying into this as blind as a Zubat to be honest." Ash said before looking over to his old friend. "Did Latias tell you yet?"

Pikachu nodded and gave him a thumbs up. Ash raised his brow in slight surprise.

"I'm surprised you're taking this so well. Normally, you'd Thunderbolt me and leave it at that."

"Pika Pikachu Pi Pika Pikachu!"

Ash nodded.

"I appreciate it old pal. I'll be trusting you to keep her safe while we're gone." He replied.

"_**What do we do now? Do we have any way to get there?"**_

"That, my dear, is exactly what we're going to arrange. I know someone who can help us. I might have to call in a couple of other favors, but we should be able to leave in no less than a week." Ash replied.

He walked over to his mother's telephone and punched in a number.

"Let's get started!"


	3. Chapter 3

The next couple of weeks flew by in an instance for Latias. She spent most of this time with Ash and standing idly by as he made preparations for their trip. The first favor he called in was to a Gym Leader by the name of Skyla. Latias had heard the name before, but only from stories told by Ash. The young trainer made arrangements to have her fly them into Kalos after meeting up in Unova. The trip to Unova was nothing special. They left on a cruise ship from Kanto to Hoenn where they caught another ship making its way to the Unova region. After traveling on foot for a week, they finally reached Skyla's gym. Upon arrival they were almost immediately shoved into a small, luxury plane and took off.

Latias looked over at Ash with a surprised expression. The young trainer laughed and straightened her hair out.

"Skyla loves to fly. That's why I called her first. I knew she would jump at the chance to fly to a new region, but man, this is a really nice plane." Ash said rubbing the leather seats.

"You like that?!" Skyla called from the cockpit. "I got this beautiful piece of work not that long ago! Been looking for a chance to really test her, so everything works out. I'll leave you two to admire the view!"

"Wait! We haven't even talked about pay-"

The door to the cockpit slammed shut, cutting him off. The young trainer sighed and sat back into the leather seat. He looked up over his shoulder and watched the clouds roll by. The gentle hum of the engines combined with the fatigue from his week-long journey began to take its effect on him. The young trainer's eyes began to droop. He felt Latias lay her head on his shoulder. He smiled as he entered his own deep sleep.

It seemed like no time had passed before Ash opened his eyes. However, he was caught off-guard by his surroundings. He quickly took in his surroundings.

"The secret garden? Then that means…" he trailed off looking around a little more carefully. He spotted a pale man dressed in a tuxedo near the fountain. Ash hesitated before stepping forward. The man was a stranger to him, but the aura he emanated was familiar. Ash stopped a few feet behind the man.

"Long time no see, Latios. I see you're trying out something new."

The pale man turned to him and nodded. "I was never comfortable in my human form, but it isn't half-bad here."

Latios turned back to the fountain and motioned for him to step forward.

"Look." He said, referring to the fountain.

Ash peered into it and saw Latias and himself asleep on the plane. Latios disrupted the water with a wave of his hand and the scene changed. This time, it showed Bianca standing by the water's edge, painting a picture of old friends. It slowly changed and showed Mewtwo, sitting on a rock, meditating. Latios sighed and waved his hand once more causing the images to disappear. He turned around and leaned against the side of the fountain.

"I honestly never expected you could succeed back then. Taking Latias for yourself and finding a new guardian to protect Alto Mare. I suppose I underestimated your resolve." He said apathetically.

"No need to hold back." Ash muttered.

"Ash, in this realm I can see everything and anything. I have watched both you and Latias since my death. You spent years, disregarding your emotions, adventuring and training. While this time spent training was not in vain, you knew deep down that your goals shifted. This is why you retired from training after becoming a master. You had been chasing the wrong dream. For Latias, my sister, it was different. Every day was spent mourning my death and waiting for you. She had fallen in love with you the moment she saw you at the Tour de Alto Mare. Now, years after your promise was made, you finally returned and set everything straight. Bianca and Latias now accept I am physically gone from this world and Lorenzo's mind is at ease, knowing Alto Mare is in good hands. Thank you."

Ash scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

"No need to thank me. I was just being selfish really. I wanted to be with Latias and went out of my way to make it happen."

Latios chuckled. "You have grown humble in your travels. I give you that."

Ash felt a surge ripple through the atmosphere.

"What in the world?"

"Your connection to this realm is destabilizing." Latios explained. "It's nothing serious, it just means your body is starting to wake up. Ash, there are a couple things I must tell you before you go."

"What is it?"

"Kalos is in danger. Seek out a man named Lysandre and put a stop to his plan, but be wary, this man is considered dead. He was stopped two years ago and was thought to be killed in an explosion, but he survived and is attempting to recreate what he failed to do."

Ash hesitated. "T-That's a lot to put on me, Latios. Suddenly telling me to protect a region I've never even been to is…"

"Selfish, I know, but nobody else knows he survived. By the time somebody realized what was going on, it would be too late."

Ash tightened his hands and nodded.

"I understand. I'll do what I can."

Latios smiled. "I knew we could count on you."

Suddenly, another surge disrupted the atmosphere. This time however, it was followed up with another, more powerful surge. Ash could sense the link he had with the world begin to disappear.

"Is there anything else you can tell me before I go?" Ash asked quickly.

Latios shook his and smiled at the young trainer.

"There was one thing though."

After a short burst of blue light, temporarily blinding Ash. Latios appeared in his true form. He put a claw on Ash's shoulder and looked him in the eyes.

"_**Thank you for taking care of Latias. You have my eternal thanks."**_

The world rapidly went dark and soon, Ash found himself in an empty abyss. It felt like an eternity before his eyes opened. The only sound Ash could hear was the soft hum of the plane engines. He groggily looked around and noticed night time had fallen. Latios' warning flashed in his mind. He knew it hadn't been a dream. The threat he described was real and it was only a matter of time before Ash encountered it. The young trainer heard a soft coo, snapping him out of his small trance. He looked down and found Latias sleeping with her head on his lap. Ash smiled at her and sighed. He leaned down and kissed her cheek.

"I'll protect you no matter what." He whispered before leaning back and closing his eyes once more.


	4. Chapter 4

Ash's eyes slowly opened. The young trainer slowly moved as not to wake Latias and stretched his arms. He heard indistinct muttering from the front of the plane and moved up to investigate. He lightly knocked on the door to the cockpit. Ash heard a bit of static from the speaker next to him.

"Sorry, can't let you in right now. Take a look out from the left side of the plane and you'll see why." Skyla stated.

Ash did as he was told. He peered outside and noticed an airport with a large amount of traffic on it.

"We're circling for now, but traffic control says we can land in a few minutes. I recommend you strap in for your safety." The young pilot said.

Ash looked out the window for a few more seconds before moving back to his seat. He lightly shook Latias who seemed cramped in the seat designed for humans.

"Latias. Wake up, we're about to land." He whispered.

The dragon's eyes fluttered open revealing her bright, amber eyes. She stretched her body with a high-pitched yawn and splayed herself across Ash's own seat.

"_**5 more minutes…"**_

"I'll give you 5 seconds." Ash replied.

A small whine escaped Latias as she righted herself. Ash took his seat and buckled himself in. A small radiance of light flashed beside him replacing Latias with Ruby. Ash smiled as he admired her beauty. Latias looked out of the window beside her with thoughtful eyes.

"Something wrong?" Ash asked. "You're normally more talkative."

Latias shook her head.

"Just thinking about a dream I had. It was nice. Me, you, Bianca, Lorenzo, and Brother all living happily in Alto Mare. We went on walks, we had picnics, we would play in the Garden, and nothing bad ever happened." She stated.

Ash thought about his encounter with Latios. It wasn't rare meeting Latios like that, but this time was different. This time he had come as a messenger. He got lost in thought, but snapped out of it when he felt Latias grasp his hand.

"What are we going to do after we're done here?" she asked still peering out the window as if searching for an answer to a long forgotten question.

Ash blinked as if the answer was obvious.

"Well, we'll return to Pallet town and…" Ash's voice trailed off.

He felt a little more pressure on his hand.

"Have you ever thought of having a family?" she asked finally taking her eyes away from the window and staring him in the eyes.

Ash's mind did a back flip. Of course he had thought about having a family, but at the moment it wasn't something he had yet considered seriously. He shifted uncomfortably under Latias' gaze. He could see it in her eyes. She was serious.

"It's, come across my mind a couple of times." He admitted. "I haven't really thought about it too much though."

Latias smiled ever so slightly.

"It's alright if you haven't. For the longest time all you were ever interested in was becoming a Pokémon master. It isn't much of a surprise that you're only now having thoughts about our future. After all, you came back to Alto Mare on a whim."

Ash hung his head in shame as he recalled his naïve childhood. Latias giggled and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"It feels like we're starting to land." She stated fumbling with the belt straps.

Ash leaned over and buckled her in.

"I would love to have a family." He whispered before leaning back into his chair.

Latias stared at him in surprise. The young trainer frowned and looked away with a blush as if denying he had said anything. Latias smiled and put her head on his shoulder without saying a word.

Ash had steeled himself for hours of paperwork that he thought they would have to deal with when they arrived. It was a big surprise that he was given a passport immediately upon arrival with a special waive on any airport services. When he inquired to the lady at the desk he received quite the surprising response.

"It's an honor having the Champion of Kanto visit Kalos. Please, if you require any assistance regarding airport policy, don't hesitate to call the front desk. Would you like me to call a taxi for you?" she continued fluidly asking several questions without stopping for breath.

Ash waved his hands in front of him.

"All I really need is a map and some information." He replied.

"Oh! Of course!" she exclaimed plucking a pamphlet of sorts from the rack beside Ash and handing it over to him.

"What would you like to know?" she asked.

"I was hoping you could tell me where Professor Sycamore lives and a good hotel to stay in." Ash replied opening the pamphlet and laying it on the desk.

"The Hotel Richissime on North Boulevard is a great place to stay, though a bit expensive." She stated circling a spot on the map. "And the professor's lab is right here by the entrance to Route 4 on the South Boulevard."

Ash looked at the map for a few minutes before looking up at the woman.

"I think I'll take you up on that cab offer."

It wasn't long before Ash and Latias were standing in front of the professor's Lab. As soon as Ash and Latias had stepped out of the cab, it sped off in search of new customers.

"Guess we'll have to walk to the hotel." Latias stated watching the cab driver take a sharp turn and disappear from sight.

"Yeah, the prices are ridiculous. I feel kind of bad letting that lady pay for the ride." Ash replied shrugging his pack to a more comfortable position.

The two of them walked up to the front door. Ash went to knock, but the door suddenly flung open and was immediately crushed in some sort of bear hug.

"Ash!" Latias cried preparing to unleash a barrage of psychic energy, but stopped at the appearance of someone new.

"Garchomp! Come now, don't crush our visitors! Come on, let go of the young man."

Latias watched as the large dragon released Ash from its tight hug. Latias helped Ash up from the ground.

"That was quite the experience." He stated as he knocked off some dirt from his pants.

"Ah, sorry about that!" The man exclaimed with a chuckle. "Garchomp here is very familiar with people she's never even met and it causes trouble sometimes."

Ash shook his head.

"It's alright, I was just surprised is all." Ash said lightly scratching the dragon's neck.

Garchomp let out a small sound of pleasure. The man beside it laughed.

"You seem to know how to handle Pokémon rather well." He said extending his hand out. "I'm Professor Sycamore, the head professor of this fine laboratory."

Ash took his hand and shook it.

"Ash Ketchum, Champion of Kanto, it's nice to meet you."

"Hmm, yes, I know exactly who you are. Your reputation here in Kalos is quite incredible. You are the youngest Champion the League has seen after all."

Ash chuckled, slightly embarrassed by the amount of attention he had received thus far.

"It would appear so." He replied.

"In any case, please step inside. It's rude to keep you out here and I doubt the Young Champion has come by just to say hello." The professor stated with a smile.


	5. Chapter 5

The professor led them into what seemed to be a lounge. The walls were white and in the middle of the room were a couple of burgundy sofas placed around a glass coffee table. Off to the side was a bar with items such as a toaster and a coffee pot. Professor Sycamore had Ash and Latias sit down before bringing them each a cup of coffee.

"I'm kind of surprised though." Ash stated after taking a sip.

"Hmm?"

"Garchomp, they're incredibly strong Pokémon, so they must be hard to train. Yours, well, it has a very calm aura to it." Ash explained forgetting the professor was not capable of sensing aura.

"Yes, they are hard to train. Garchomp here was a pain in the rear end, but after a while she came to terms with us and it's been smooth sailing since." He replied.

"Why do you have one though?" Latias asked. "In your line of research, wouldn't it be more beneficial to keep Pokémon that can Mega Evolve?"

The professor simply smiled and Ash snapped his fingers.

"Garchomp can Mega Evolve!" Ash exclaimed.

"Precisely. Garchomp has been a major help to us. By studying her, we've been able to understand more about the process and effects of Mega Evolution, even if it is only a little bit. We have more aides conducting independent research, but Mega Evolution is no easy task and only a couple of them can actually pull it off. One notable aide is Allen, but I haven't heard from him in quite some time." Professor Sycamore explained with a small sigh.

"Amazing, I can hardly imagine how much more powerful Cynthia would be if she could Mega Evolve her Garchomp." Ash said as he got lost in space.

Latias snapped her fingers in front of his face, bringing him back to reality.

"Anyways, I came here on behalf of Gary Oak to find out what I could on Mega Evolution. He told me you would be the best place to start." Ash said pulling out the letter.

Professor Sycamore took the envelope and examined the wax seal that kept the contents of the letter shut.

"This most certainly is the seal of the Oak family." He stated before opening the envelope.

He took a few minutes to examine the letter. After he was done he set the letter down and asked Ash for the stone that was mentioned as well as his Pokédex. Ash handed both items over. The professor stood up and walked over to a phone on the wall. He picked it up and had a short conversation on it before returning to his seat.

"Sorry about that. I'm having my personal secretary come down to take care of these. She'll take your Pokédex up to get it updated and the stone will be scanned at the same time." He explained as he stared at the stone in wonder.

"Wait, scan it? I thought it was a stone for Charizard?"

The professor shook his head.

"No, this is vastly different. I'm not sure what kind of stone it is, but it most certainly isn't just a chunk of rock. Mr. Oak may have stumbled upon something great."

As he said that, a woman entered the room. She wore a white lab coat over her normal clothing. Her hair was blonde and reached down to the middle of her back. Pushing up her square spectacles, she walked up to the professor, took the items and left without even saying a word.

"She's a friendly one." Latias stated as the door closed.

Professor Sycamore chuckled.

"Excuse Elizabeth, she's much more social than you imagine. She just has trouble around new people." He explained.

Ash nodded in understanding. The professor clapped his hand together and stood up.

"In fact, speaking of socializing, why don't we get to know each other a little better? It will take at least an hour for the scan to come up with any results."

Ash and Latias looked at each other and the two of them shrugged.

"I'm in." Ash replied.

"I'll join too." Latias stated.

"And I'll join as well!" someone exclaimed as the door to room flew open.

Ash and Latias jumped at the sudden intrusion. Professor Sycamore simply frowned.

"You really should make appointments instead of barging in unannounced. It's a bad habit of yours, Serena."

Ash looked at the girl with a surprised expression.

"Serena?! No way!" Ash exclaimed.

"Ash, do you know her?" Latias asked.

"Ash!? Are you serious! I haven't seen you since-"

"The camp! I know! We never saw each other after that! I never knew you lived in Kalos!"

The two embraced each other in a tight hug. Latias' face went red as her jealousy rose. They separated and each took a seat. Serena sat on the other couch beside Professor Sycamore, much to Latias' appreciation.

"It's been so long! What have you been doing this entire time?" Ash asked as he sat down.

"Well, I spent most of my time learning how to ride Rhyhorn from my mom. She's a famous Rhyhorn racer you see? After a while, I decided I wanted to be a Trainer instead. That was-"

"5 years ago, if I recall correctly." Professor Sycamore finished for her. "You and Calem were special cases. Most trainers start their journeys at the age of 10, but you two were 12 when you started. You chose Fennekin and Calem chose Froakie."

Serena nodded as if to reinforce what he had said.

"What about you? What have you been doing?" she asked.

"I was a trainer just like you, but then I took an arrow to the knee."

Serena and Professor Sycamore stared at Ash with dead expressions.

"What? It means I got married."

"Pfft, I knew that." Serena said sitting back.

Her eyes started to grow wide and she swiftly turned her head to him.

"You got married!?"


	6. Chapter 6

Serena sat back with a surprised expression while Professor Sycamore's eyes gleamed with interest as Ash and Latias finished recounting there tale of how they met. Ash felt he could trust the two individuals with the knowledge of Ruby's true identity.

"So your wife here is actually the legendary Pokémon, Latias! Incredible! I've only heard legends of your kind. How long can you hold that form? Does it consume a lot of energy? Can you transform into anything else?"

The professor's questions soon began to speed up until Ash and Latias couldn't understand anything. Serena punched him in the back of the head causing him to yelp in pain as the sudden jolt made him bite his tongue.

"You're being rude professor." She stated.

"It's okay, I understand his surprise." Latias said.

"Shank you!" Professor Sycamore said holding a hand to the side of his cheek. "Thish ishn't an every day occurencshe you know!"

Ash chuckled lightly at the small exchange.

"We'll answer any questions you might have professor, but this time could you maybe take things a little slower?" Ash asked.

"Of course!" he replied. "Now, for my first question, how limited is your power to transform?"

"I can only transform into a human."

"Do you have any other unique abilities?"

Latias smiled mischievously and Ash groaned.

"Here we go again." He muttered before taking a sip of his tea.

A bright, blue flash of light radiated from Latias and no sooner had she transformed into her true form, she disappeared. Serena yelped in surprise and whipped her head back and forth searching for the dragon.

"Where'd she go? Did she teleport? What's wrong?" Serena asked noticing Ash's gaze.

A little smile crept onto the champion's face. Serena felt something like a gust of wind brush against her head. She touched her head with a confused expression. Her confusion only increased when she saw her hat rest itself on top of Professor Sycamore's head who seemed intrigued.

"Invisibility! Amazing!" the professor exclaimed taking the hat off.

Ash nodded before being tackled by an invisible force. He began laughing as Latias, having lifted her invisibility, rubbed her cheek against his. Latias chirped delightfully as Ash scratched her neck.

"Hmm, so she loses the ability to speak when she's in her true form?"

The professor's question got Ash's attention and he sat up. Latias laid beside him with her head on his lap.

"Yes and no. She can't talk like a regular person, but she's pretty much mastered telepathy. She can even speak to several people at once if she wants to, but it requires more concentration and energy than just one person." Ash replied as he softly stroked Latias' neck.

The professor nodded.

"And what of you?"

Ash blinked a few times.

"What do you mean?"

"I noticed you were following her while she was invisible. Is there some kind of trick to seeing her?"

"Oh, I couldn't see her."

"Then how did you know where she was."

"Aura."

This caught Serena's attention.

"Aura? Like, the stuff a Lucario uses?" she asked.

Ash nodded and held out his hand. His eyes focused on his hand. Serena could barely feel it, but she felt the air in the room change ever so slightly. It didn't take long before she was staring at an aura sphere in her friend's hand. Both Serena and the professor were enraptured by the sphere. The sound emanating from it was powerful and the colors matched it. It appeared mostly dark blue mixed with a brighter blue. Serena looked up to Ash to express her wonderment, but it all immediately faded as soon as she saw him. He was sweating profusely and looked to be in pain. As soon as she noticed, the sphere disappeared in a brilliant flash blinding her for a moment. When she regained her vision, Ash was slumped over Latias and shaking uncontrollably. Latias slowly laid him on the couch and hovered over him. She touched his forehead with her claw and a pink wave began travelling across his body. His breathing steadied and his shaking started to slow down. Latias looked over to the professor for a few seconds.

"Of course!" he stated, jumping up from the couch and rushing over to a closet.

He came back with a blanket and draped it over Ash. Serena was slightly confused at the professor's actions, but then realized Latias must have spoken to him with telepathy.

"Is he okay?" she asked, worried that Ash might have injured himself.

"_**He'll be fine. He just needs some rest is all."**_Said a voice in her head.

"Was that you, Latias?"

The dragon nodded her head.

"_**I don't have any first-hand experience with it, but from what Ash has told me, Aura is very hard on the body. It doesn't seem to affect him when all he's doing is sensing someone's Aura, but whenever he exerts his own Aura, it's almost like there's too much for his body to handle."**_

"You could say it's similar to a broken faucet." the professor stated handing a wet towel to Latias.

"What do you mean?" Serena asked.

"His aura, it's like a broken faucet. It's either always on or always off. There's no in-between. However, the fact he can control aura is astonishing. How long has he known he could control it?"

Latias shook her head.

"_**You would have to ask him. I've heard the story, but I can't give you an accurate time frame. I do know that his natural ability to sense aura started a little more than a year ago."**_

"Well, you can rest here for as long as you like." The professor said. "I can have a guest room prepared for you immediately."

Latias smiled at the gesture.

"_**It's alright, we've already planned on staying at the hotel here."**_

The professor nodded in understanding.

"I won't argue for you to stay here, but I must ask, what is your next move?"

Latias cocked her head, confused by the question.

"Ash said that he was directed here by Gary Oak to get started on his research for Mega Evolution. Do you two have a plan on where you're going next?"

The dragon closed her eyes in thought. Her eyes shot open when she felt something touch her arm. She looked down and noticed Ash trying to get her attention. She lowered her head down to where Ash could whisper something before falling back to sleep.

"_**Ash said he was hoping you could lead us in the right direction."**_

Professor Sycamore smiled.

"I assumed that was going to be the response. In that case, I'll have Serena here travel with you and take you to Shalour City where the Mega Evolution Guru lives. I'm sure you'll learn more from him than you will in this lab."

Serena jumped in surprise at this.

"Wait, why am I suddenly being roped into this?" she asked.

The professor shrugged his shoulders.

"You were on your way back to the Guru anyways, weren't you? You might as well go with them."

Serena fell silent knowing he was right. She had business with the Guru and it wouldn't hurt to have some companions along the way. She even felt a little happier knowing she was going to be traveling with Ash and Latias, even if it was only for a short while. She finally nodded her head and agreed.

"I'll be staying here." She stated. "I'll meet you two in the lobby of your hotel tomorrow morning and we can go over the details then. For now, I need to go out and get some supplies."

As soon as Serena left, Professor Sycamore stood up with a sigh.

"The scan should be about complete. I'll go get the stone and then we can try and figure out how we're going to get him to the hotel you're staying in."


	7. Chapter 7

Ash gasped as his eyes shot open. His eyes shot side-to-side, but nothing could be made out. He took a few seconds to collect himself and realized he was in a hotel room. While he let his eyes adjust, Ash took a moment to recall what had happened. He remembered having a conversation with Serena and Professor Sycamore, but his memory went fuzzy after they started talking about Aura. He groaned as he shifted himself up into a sitting position. His muscles ached for some reason.

"_I'm parched. I need some water." _

The young champion carefully slid out of the bed making sure not to wake his sleeping companion. His legs buckled under him making him stumble forward. He planted his hands on the wall and slowly made his way into the bathroom. He flipped the switch on his way in, illuminating the bathroom.

"_What in Arceus's name did I do to make myself feel this weak?"_

Ash let out a quiet sigh and turned on the faucet. He grabbed a little paper cup, filled it up, and downed the water. Following this, he cupped some water in his hands and washed his face off. He dried his face off and looked up into the mirror. He screamed in surprise at his reflection and fell backwards. Latias peered into the bathroom a few seconds afterwards and looked at him questioningly. Ash waved his hand in front of him.

"It's nothing, I just tripped."

Her brows furrowed and she gave him a worried coo.

"I'm fine, really. I'm sorry for waking you up." He replied with a smile. "I'll be back in bed soon."

Latias flew in and helped him up before nuzzling him and floating back to bed.

"_Did she just not notice? Or maybe…"_

Ash looked back into the mirror.

"_They're not there anymore."_

Ash stood there staring at the mirror like it was about to open up a portal to another world. He snapped out of his trance when he heard Latias coo from the other room. He made his way out of the bathroom, stealing one last glance at the mirror as if challenging it. He slid into bed and fell asleep, all the while thinking about those piercing red eyes he had seen in his reflection.

"Over here!" Serena yelled from across the lobby.

Ash looked at Serena and then to Latias. He pointed his thumb at Serena without saying a word.

"After you passed out yesterday, I took things into my own hands." Latias said. "Serena is going to be our guide to Shalour City."

Ash processed this new tidbit of information and nodded.

"Alright, I can deal with this. It'll be like the old days. Except this time I'm traveling with two females… I really wish Brock was here." He sighed with thoughts of food.

The two made their way over to Serena and what appeared to be a large, bipedal fox. Ash whipped out Dexter and pointed it at the creature.

"Delphox, the Fox Pokémon: It gazes into the flame at the tip of its branch to achieve a focused state, which allows it to see into the future."

Delphox stared at the Pokédex curiously.

"First time I've ever seen a Delphox. Where'd you get her?" Ash asked.

"She's a starter here in Kalos. The final evolved form of Fennekin and how did you know her gender?"

Ash shrugged.

"I've been around Pokémon for a long time. I guess I can just tell now."

Ash pulled out a chair for Latias and sat down himself. He called a waiter over and placed a couple of orders. After the menus were taken away he turned to Serena.

"So, you're going to take us to Shalour City. Do you have a route in mind?"

Serena nodded and pulled out her map.

"The fastest way is to go up through Route 13 into Coumarine City. After that, we surf across the Azure Bay into Route 12 and finally we make our way into Shalour City. It'll be about a 5-day trip so make sure you're prepared. Oh, and make sure you bring a lot of water. Route 13 is pretty much a desert and you don't want to dehydrate."

"How long will we be in the desert?" Latias asked.

"A few days. Route 13 makes up a pretty large portion of the journey." Serena replied. "It gets kind of cold at night too, so make sure you have something to keep you warm."

"I have something that can keep me warm." Latias said leaning against Ash.

The young trainer blushed and coughed as if to cover up his embarrassment.

"I think we're good warm clothing. We just need to pick up some water on our way out of Lumiose."

"When do you want to leave?" Serena asked tucking the map back into her purse.

"As soon as possible." Ash replied with no hesitation.

Serena stared at him in surprise.

"Are you sure? There's a lot to do here in Lumiose. Why not take your time and have a tour of the city? In fact, you've only been in Kalos for what, 24 hours?"

Ash shook his head.

"I'm sure there is, but I'd like to get started with the research as soon as possible. The fact that Professor Sycamore knows nothing about the stone I brought doesn't sit well with me. I'm hoping this Guru can identify it."

"What about you?" Serena asked, turning towards Latias.

Ash's companion frowned.

"I'd like to have a look around, but we can always come back another day. It's not like Lumiose is about to fly off." She replied.

Ash snorted.

"That's quite the image. A flying city. Next thing you know, it's going to teleport."

Latias giggled at the mental image.

Serena sighed and shrugged.

"If that's the consensus, I suppose we can leave when we're done with breakfast."

The waiter was walking over with their food when a ringing noise started coming from Serena's purse. She dug around and pulled out a device Ash had never seen before. She excused herself from the table and went outside. Ash and Latias dug in without waiting for Serena to come back. After a few minutes, she returned and sat down, but she appeared to be shaking.

"Is something wrong?" Ash asked setting his silverware down.

"It's my Absol. About 4 months ago while I was traveling in the northern region of Kalos, Absol saved me from a stampeding herd of Mammoswine. I got out with a few scratches, but Absol… Absol's leg was broken."

"That's horrible." Latias whispered.

Serena nodded and tears began welling up.

"He's supposed to make a full recovery, but the Nurse Joy who's taking care of him just told me he'll never be able to fight again."

Ash closed his eyes and Latias gasped. Tears were now streaming down her face. Delphox put an arm on her trainer's shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. Serena leaned into the Pokémon and began openly sobbing. Ash stood up quietly followed by Latias, but Ash put his arm on her shoulder and sat her back down.

"I'm going to go get out supplies. Stay here with her. I won't be gone for too long." He whispered.

Ash gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before making his way out into the city.


	8. Chapter 8

Ash slowly walked along the streets of Lumiose. It was still early in the morning so many people were still waking up to prepare for work. The sounds of the city resounded everywhere. Angry cab drivers could be heard blaring their horns in the distance and wild Pokémon could be seen darting in and out of alleyways looking for food. He stopped in front of a billboard with a detailed layout of the city. After figuring out where the Pokémart was, he made a beeline for it. He didn't want to leave Latias and Serena alone for too long. It wasn't long before Ash found himself browsing in one of the shop's many aisles. He grabbed the basic provisions first and then picked up some medicine and bandages in case something might occur while they were traveling. Happy with what he had, Ash turned to check out and bumped into a man who dropped some items.

"Sorry! I wasn't paying attention." He immediately stated as he crouched to help the man.

"It's quite alright." The man replied placing the items into a basket.

The two of them stood up and Ash got a good look at the man. He was taller than Ash by quite a few inches. He had combed back red hair and his most remarkable feature was the eye patch covering his left eye. There was also a scar running across the bridge of his nose that Ash found interesting.

"I am Andre." He said offering Ash a hand.

"Ash Ketchum."

"I couldn't help but notice the Pokéball on your belt. Am I correct in assuming you are a trainer?"

Ash nodded.

"I've been a trainer for 7 years. I had gone into retirement, but fate dictated that my time as a trainer has yet to end."

Ash glanced at the clock and yelped in surprised.

"I'm sorry about running into you before, but I really need to go!" he exclaimed before dashing up to the register and running out of the store.

The man's happy demeanor was soon replaced with one of anger as Ash left.

"Damn it. It would appear the reconnaissance team was telling the truth." He said as he threw the basket down.

He stepped just outside the Pokémart and could just make out Ash running through the crowd in the distance. Another man appeared beside him out of nowhere.

"What are your orders, Lysandre?"

Lysandre punched the man in the gut.

"Never use my real name in public. Don't do anything to him for now. Just keep tabs on him. I doubt any of you could beat him anyways."

"Yes, sir." The man grunted before disappearing into the shadows.

"My plans were ruined before, but I will not fail this time."

Ash walked into the hotel half expecting an angry Latias. Instead, she came over and helped him with the provisions without a word. She had a solemn expression and stole glances once in a while towards Serena who had her head in hands and was making no noise.

"_**I think we should push our departure back. We should give her time to calm down."**_Latias said telepathically.

"_You're probably right. She shouldn't have to travel like this."_ Ash replied.

"Are you two ready to go?" Serena asked standing up.

Ash and Latias stared at her with surprised expressions.

"Actually, we were thinking about pushing the departure back." Latias replied as Ash nodded to confirm this.

"You don't need to worry about me. I'll be fine. It's not like Absol died. He can still live a happy life at my house." She replied with a small smile.

Ash and Latias made a small agreement through eye contact alone and nodded.

"We're ready." Latias said with determination.

"Let's go." Ash added as he shouldered his backpack.

Serena stood up and wiped away a tear. When she opened her eyes they were that of fierce determination.

"I can't let this get me down." She said. "I have to keep going forward until my own legs give out."

"Your journey won't end there." Ash replied walking towards the front doors.

"Huh?"

"When you can't run you crawl and when you can't do that anymore, you find someone to carry you."

Serena stopped following him for a few seconds dumbfounded. A large smile broke out on her face and she leapt forward and took Ash and Latias into a hug.

"Then, when that time comes, do you think you could help me out?"

Ash chuckled and nodded.

"Of course I can. I have a bad habit of never saying no to a friend anyways."

"I can attest to that." Latias said.

The entire group burst into laughter as they started their journey for Shalour City.

Ash panted as the sun beat down on him with blistering heat. He would look around as if he was trying to find someone or something to blame the heat on. Wiping away the sweat on his forehead, he directed his attention to the west. He could barely see the Lumiose Tower far off in the distance. It had been 3 days since he left with Latias and Serena. The sound of shuffling feet and heavy panting brought his mind back down to earth. He turned around and saw Latias supporting Serena. Ash motioned to a rock formation and helped Serena underneath its shade. Ash collapsed right beside her and pulled out a water bottle. After taking a swig, he offered it to Serena who accepted it gladly.

"How could you possibly be ok with this?" Ash asked noticing that Latias didn't even appear winded.

Latias giggled and sat down beside him. She put her hand on his shoulder and he immediately felt cool air rushing across his body. As soon as she took it off it was back to the dry heat. He looked at her in disbelief.

"You're air conditioning yourself?! That's just not right!" he exclaimed.

Something bumped into his shoulder. He turned around and took back his water bottle from Serena who pulled out a Town Map. She slid it open and tapped the screen. After a few seconds a red dot began blipping on the map.

"That red dot is where we're at right now." She said pointing at it. "If we keep going at this pace we should reach Coumarine tomorrow afternoon."

"Fancy map." Ash commented looking towards the sky. "A quarter to 7 I'd say."

"Well then, let's keep going." Serena stated closing the map.

"Wait." He replied holding his hand out. "Latias, do you sense that?"

"I can hear it." She replied.

"What are you two talking about?" Serena asked thoroughly confused now.

"There's a sandstorm heading this way. Unless we want half of our equipment destroyed by sand, I suggest we find shelter." He said scanning the horizon. He quickly found what he was looking for.

"Over there. There's a cave. We'll ride the storm out in there and continue tomorrow."

As soon as the group made it into the cave, darkness came over everything and the wind began to howl. Serena watched the entrance to the cave, entranced by the raging storm. After a couple of hours passed, Serena went to bed leaving Ash and Latias alone. Ash sat on a small rock staring outside like he could actually see what was going on. Latias flew over and nuzzled him.

"_**Is something wrong? You look kind of… depressed."**_

Ash shook his head.

"Not really, I'm just thinking."

"_**About what?"**_

"Everything, really. My past journeys, old friends, new friends, mom, you, and the future. I'm just wondering what's in store for us."

Latias floated beside him not knowing how to respond. Ash stretched his arms and stood up.

"But, I suppose it won't do me any good by just dwelling on them. For now, I'll enjoy whatever time I have with you and we can deal with those problems when they come along."

He leaned forward and gave Latias a kiss before heading over to his sleeping bag. Latias blushed at the sudden action and followed him, fitting herself as best as she could into the sleeping bag. Her wings made this a little difficult.

"You know this is only built for one person?" Ash inquired.

"_**Then I guess it's a good thing I'm not a person."**_Latias replied before giving Ash a surprise kiss of her own.

"_**Good night, love."**_


	9. Chapter 9

Ash woke to the noise of a roaring wind. He slowly sat up and stretched his arms with a loud yawn. The young champion noticed someone sitting near the front of the cave and rubbed his eyes.

"Serena? Wait, is it still dark out?" he asked shifting himself out of the sleeping bag.

"Hm? Oh, yeah." She quietly replied as Ash sat down beside her.

The two trainers sat in silence watching the storm outside. Every minute felt like an hour to Ash as he calmly watched on. Ash heard a noise from Serena and looked over at her. She looked like she was having trouble speaking.

"Something wrong?"

Serena jumped a little, but quickly shook her head.

"It's just, I wanted to ask you something."

"Go ahead, I'm an open book."

Serena squirmed a bit on the rock.

"Have you ever lost a Pokémon?" she asked staring at the ground.

Ash quietly examined Serena for a few seconds. Her eyes held a great amount of sadness in them. She was worried about her Absol. He stretched his arms once more and stood up. He walked over to the cave entrance and stood there. Serena watched him carefully the entire time.

"I can't say I've ever actually _lost _a Pokémon," he replied. "But there have been times throughout my journey where it certainly felt like it."

Serena said nothing so Ash continued.

"One of the times I recall was back in Kanto. I had released Butterfree, the first Pokémon I had ever caught myself. I was happy for him, but it also felt like I lost a part of myself when he left. I've had other instances like that, but some of them were much easier to deal with. Kind of like Pidgeot."

Ash smiled as he recalled his time with Pidgeot.

"Pidgeot helped to protect a flock of Pidgey and Pidgeotto from the Spearow and Fearow. I left him to lead the flock and protect it. He comes around to visit sometimes when he has time."

Ash's smile faltered as another memory cropped up.

"And then there's Lucario."

Serena tilted her head slightly.

"Lucario?"

Ash nodded and turned back to her.

"Lucario, wasn't my Pokémon. In fact, he shouldn't have even been alive when I met him. He was stuck in a crystal for hundreds of years, forced into it by Sir Aaron. He was extremely adept with aura, even when compared to other Lucario. He was the one who showed me how to call forth and use my own aura. He was also the one who led us to the Tree of Beginning after Mew took Pikachu there."

Ash's eyes seemed a little empty.

"Something went wrong. The tree thought we were a virus and it tried to eradicate us. It was doing pretty well too. After running around and figuring out what was going on, Mew brought everyone back, but this caused an even larger issue. The tree's immune system was put into shock and the only way to save it was to give Mew more power. And so we did. Lucario and I transferred our power to Mew, but I still wasn't experienced enough. Lucario had to do most of the work and in the end, he died."

Ash put his back to the wall of the cave and leaned against it.

"If I had done better, he might have lived. The thought of that haunts me to this very day, but I know he wouldn't want me to think like that. He would want me to be happy that he's with Sir Aaron again."

Ash said nothing after this and simply sat there. Serena opened her mouth attracting the young champion's attention.

"I'm sure Lucario would be proud of how far you've come since then."

Ash looked at her for a couple minutes and smiled.

"You're right. He would be. I can't let these thoughts tear me apart. I've gained a lot in my life since then, some of them are irreplaceable." He replied turning towards Latias.

Serena smiled at him and stood up.

"Thanks for answering my question." She said dusting herself off. "I was beating myself up over Absol and just felt like the world was ending. After listening to your story though, I think I can muster the courage to move on and make the best of the situation."

"Ah, actually, I have something I'd like to ask you myself."

Serena blinked a couple of times before nodding and sitting back down.

"What do you want to know?"

"I was hoping you could tell me about a man named Lysandre."

Serena reeled back in shock.

"Is that a no?"

Serena shook her head and fixed herself.

"No, I can tell you about him. I was just a little shocked. How do you even know about him? I thought that incident was only known here in Kalos?"

"I don't know the details, but I do know that this man tried to do something here a couple of years ago. I guess you could say I'm interested in knowing what he tried to do."

Serena coughed to clear her throat.

"Well, Lysandre was the head of a big company. They produced items beneficial to trainers like the Holo Caster." She explained as she stooped over and pulled a device from her bag. "The Holo Caster lets you talk to other people with Holo Casters with a holographic image or you can call normal phones with just audio. Apparently all of the Holo Casters were bugged and he used the information from calls to assist in his plan."

"What was his plan?"

"Lysandre, was sick of the world. He was sick of the people. So by using the power of the Legendary Pokémon Xerneas, he planned on annihilating everything so the world could start over. He planned on doing this by feeding Xerneas' power into something called the Ultimate Weapon. A device created 3,000 years ago by King AZ solely for the purpose of bringing his beloved friend back to life. However, his anger was too much and he turned the device into a weapon and destroyed the two sides of the war. His friend, disgusted by the fact the device was powered by other Pokémon left him. A side effect of the device gave AZ eternal life, which to him was more like a punishment. Calem and I found out about his plan and set out to stop him. Alongside our friends, we were able to free Xerneas who fought alongside us to defeat Lysandre. We were successful, just barely. The weapon fell in on itself and was destroyed. Lysandre's body was never recovered. It's thought that he was crushed by the weapon and nobody's simply found his body yet."

Ash carefully listened to everything Serena said. He thought about challenging the belief he was dead, but decided against it. He didn't want to cause any unneeded worry. After a few minutes of silence, Ash simply stood up and walked back to his sleeping bag after thanking her.

"Ash, thank you, for talking with me. It helped a lot."

Ash smiled and nodded once more.

"No problem. Now let's get some sleep, otherwise my darling wife here will be a mile ahead of us tomorrow."

Serena giggled before turning over in her sleeping bag.

"Good night." She whispered.

"You too." Ash replied before falling into a world of dreams.


	10. Chapter 10

Ash fell onto a bench, breathing heavily and sweating profusely. Serena collapsed on the other end with her head hanging back. Latias sat down beside Ash while giggling.

"I will never complain about air conditioning being too cold ever again." Ash stated.

"Ditto." Serena replied.

Ash raised his head and looked around. They were in a route connector which was surprisingly similar to the ones Ash had been through in other regions. Other than his group there were only a few other people. He peered out the doors at the opposite end of the room and saw a few buildings in the distance.

"So that over there is Coumarine?"

Serena nodded without even looking.

"We can get some supplies while we're there. Normally we could take a short water route to get over to Shalour, but the route is off-limits due to construction. We have to go around."

Ash looked up trying to come up with a faster solution.

"We could fly there." Latias said.

Ash snapped his finger and pointed at her.

"Exactly! They may be able to stop anybody travelling on land, but they can't stop us from flying over!"

"That's true, but how will we do that? I don't have any Pokémon on me that can fly." Serena replied.

Ash stood up and unclipped the Pokéball from his belt.

"This is how we'll do it." He stated tossing the ball a short distance.

A flash of white light came from the ball blinding Serena for a few seconds and attracting the attention of a few people. Soon after, a loud roar reverberated around the room. Serena opened her eyes and was astonished at what she saw. A fully grown Charizard stood before her. Ash walked up to it and gave it a fist bump.

"How you holding up in there?" Ash asked. "Sorry I never let you out 'till now."

The large lizard replied with a low growl and puff of smoke. Ash laughed and continued conversing with the large lizard. Serena leaned over to Latias.

"Does he understand what it is saying?"

Latias shook her head lightly.

"He's just guessing. That's just how well he know his friends." She replied with a soft smile. "Charizard has been with Ash for a long time. Much longer than I've known him. They share a different kind of bond than I do with Ash. One of trust and comradery."

Serena nodded and turned to watch Ash and Charizard. A thought suddenly crossed her mind.

"Wait, how is Charizard going to carry 3 people? That's a little much don't you think?"

Latias giggled.

"He's not carrying 3 people. He's carrying 2."

"What do you mean?"

"You forget that I'm a Pokémon as well. I'll fly beside you and Ash as you ride Charizard." She explained.

"Eh?! But, are you sure?"

Latias blinked a few times and cocked her head.

"Is something wrong?"

Serena fumbled with her words and began wringing her fingers together.

"I mean, it's just, are you fine with that? Me riding with him? He is your husband after all." She said with a slight blush.

Latias stared at her for a few minutes and began to laugh.

"W-What's so funny?"

"You're much more innocent than I thought you were." Latias replied wiping a tear from her eye. "You're absolutely right though, he is my husband."

"Exactly, so you sho-"

"But you forgot something important." Latias said cutting her off. "I'm also his wife."

Serena pulled back a little.

"I don't understand." She replied frowning.

"I didn't expect you too," Latias said smiling. "But you will eventually."

Both of the girls jumped up in surprise as a torrent of flames flew by them. They quickly looked over to Charizard and saw a charred Ash standing like he was some sort of hieroglyphic. Latias started laughing as Serena started to panic. Latias walked over to Ash and pinched out a flame on his sleeve and began dusting him off.

"How can you be so calm!? He could have died! Don't you see he's perfectly fine! Wait, what?"

Serena looked at him a little more carefully.

"You're not even burned?"

Ash chuckled and shook his head.

"Nah, this is a common occurrence with Charizard. His flamethrower is kind of similar to a Ponyta or Rapidash's mane. It doesn't hurt anyone the Pokémon trusts."

"I didn't even know that was possible…"

"You learn something new every day, huh?" Ash replied as he returned Charizard to his Pokéball. "So, what are we waiting around for? Let's get going to Coumarine!"

Ash spun on his heel and began marching for the door at the opposite end of the room followed closely by Latias. Serena watched them for a few seconds before giving an exasperated sigh and smiling.

"You guys are really something." She said to herself.

"What was that?" Latias asked looking back.

Serena shook her head and ran ahead of them.

"Come on you Slowpokes! We want to get there before the day is out don't we?" she yelled back.

Ash and Latias both ran after her as the sun bathed the world in a soft orange glow. A man stepped out from the route connector and threw away a newspaper. He carefully watched the three running in the distance. He pulled a battered radio from one of his pockets and tuned it a little.

"HQ, this is unit 2-1, copy."

"_2-1, this is HQ, what do you have for us."_

"I have confirmation on Pokémon in the Champion's current party.

"_Send it."_

"It appears he only has a Charizard with him. Initial scans show high power levels. What are my next orders?"

Static came from the radio for a few seconds before a low, disgruntled voice came over.

"_You've done well, 2-1. Avoid direct confrontation with target and return to base."_

"Yes, sir."

The man turned off the radio and slid it back into his pocket before disappearing into the shadows.


	11. Chapter 11

-Coumarine City-

Ash stared out across the sea. The dark blue was illuminated by the stars above creating a beautiful scene for him to enjoy. Latias was lying in the grass with her head in his lap and Serena was off to the side training with Delphox. A cold sea breeze blew in, carrying with it the unique fragrance of the ocean. The young champion closed his eyes and let the smell take him back to his days as a child in Pallet town where he would spend hours at the town's beach. It also reminded him of his time spent in Alto Mare with Latios and Latias as well as Bianca and Lorenzo. He smiled at the memories and opened his eyes to find Serena walking over and dropping down beside him.

"What's up?" he asked leaning back a little.

Serena shrugged her shoulders and brought her knees up and wrapped her arms around them.

"Just thought I'd take a break. It'd be a shame to pass up this kind of view." She replied.

"What kind of move are you trying to teach her?" Ash asked curiously.

"Mystical Fire."

"Never heard of it."

Serena nodded.

"That's not surprising. Mystical fire is kind of a signature move that can only be learned by Delphox."

"Only Delphox?"

Serena looked up in thought.

"Well, I have heard rumors of a certain Ghost-type Pokémon being able to learn it, but I've never been able to confirm that."

Ash looked over at Delphox. Purple flames were coming out of the branch it uses as a wand, but it appeared to be having trouble controlling it. After a few seconds the flame disappeared. Delphox was breathing a little heavily which didn't go unnoticed by Serena.

"Delphox, take a break. We'll pick back up on it tomorrow." She said returning the large fox to her Pokéball.

Serena sighed as she tucked the Pokéball back into place.

"Sounds like you've been trying for a while to learn it." Ash stated.

"A few weeks now. It was a mistake not teaching it to her earlier. It would have been easier for her to pick up on.

She stretched her arms and fell back onto the grass.

"Was there ever a time when you didn't know what to do anymore?"

"Not really. I had my goal set in stone when I was still 10 years old. After I finished that, I took a break from being a trainer and just stayed home for a while. Then I went back to Alto Mare and had a fateful reunion with this beautiful woman." He replied lightly stroking Latias' hair.

"What happened after you got together with her?"

"I went back to Pallet town and decided to settle down."

"Aren't you a bit young to retire?" she asked humorously.

"Arceus thought so apparently." Ash sighed.

Serena giggled at his remark. She looked back up at the stars and closed her eyes.

"I've been through a lot here in Kalos. I can't say I hate this place, but it's a stretch to say I love it."

Ash looked at her with a slightly confused expression.

"Why not? Kalos seems like a lovely place to live. I certainly wouldn't mind staying."

Serena shook her head.

"I love Kalos, it's just some of the experiences I've had here have been a little bitter sweet. Do you remember what we talked about a couple nights ago? About everyone who helped stop Lysandre?"

Ash nodded.

"Of course, you said your friend Calem led the charge against him, right?"

This time Serena nodded.

"I fell in love with him shortly afterwards, but he left Kalos." She stated rather bluntly.

Ash took a few seconds to construct a response.

"Where'd he go?"

"The Orre region. He said he wanted to study what kind of effects a bond has with Pokemon. He heard about a phenomena dubbed "Shadow Pokémon" occurred over there some time ago and set off without even as much as a warning."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, letting the sea breeze wash over them.

"How about now?" Ash asked staring into the sea.

Serena shrugged.

"I'm not sure what to think now. I don't think he plans on coming back anytime soon and other feelings are messing everything up. I think I need to get away from Kalos. If I stay here any longer, I'll never be able to leave."

"You could try for the Indigo Plateau."

Serena laughed rather loudly.

"That's not a bad idea. It all depends on whether or not I'd be fighting you or Lance."

"I don't think the League would mind if I took Lance's spot for one fight."

Serena sat up and stuck her hand out.

"It's a deal then. After everything is done over here, I'll go to the Kanto region and take on the Gym League challenge. Once I reach the Indigo Plateau, I expect to see you waiting for me."

Ash accepted the hand with a firm grip.

"I won't go easy on you."

"It wouldn't be a real fight if you did."

The two trainers began laughing just as another breeze blew in. This time the chill got to them, making each of them shiver a little.

"I guess it's about time we head back to the hotel, huh?" Ash asked.

"Probably a good idea. Don't want any of us to capture a cold." Serena replied standing up and brushing her skirt off.

Ash slowly and carefully picked Latias up and carried her back to the hotel. It wasn't long before they were all in their respective rooms. Ash tucked in Latias, who for whatever reason transformed back into her Eon form. Ash smiled at her sleeping figure and gave her light kiss on the forehead before tucking himself into bed.


	12. Chapter 12

Ash shouldered his backpack and checked the straps. He tugged on each one to make sure they were secure. Latias, still asleep, squirmed around on the bed beside Ash. The young champion knelt down and lightly blew into her ear. The Eon responded by burying her head into a pillow. Ash laughed and shook her a bit, successfully waking her up.

"Come on, I let you sleep in for long enough. I'm going to need you to be in top condition today."

Latias stared at him for a few seconds groggily before letting herself fall back over onto the bed. Ash chuckled before picking her back up.

"Come on now, we can't keep Serena waiting. Do some yoga or something to wake yourself up." He said patting her head.

After a few minutes, Latias transformed into her human form. She did a few stretches to limber herself up.

"My human body is always so stiff when I transform." She complained.

"I wouldn't mind if you stayed in your Eon form. I think that's when you're the most beautiful." Ash replied giving Latias a reason to blush.

"Do you know if Serena is ready to leave yet?"

"Yeah, she's down in the lounge right now with Delphox. I would let Charizard out, but his tendency to Flamethrower me might cause a little bit of trouble for the staff."

Latias perked an eyebrow.

"A little?"

"OK! A lot."

Latias giggled as they left for the lounge. It wasn't long before they met up with Serena and left the hotel. They walked along the harbor, which to Ash's surprise wasn't very busy. He asked Serena about it.

"Well, Kalos is a self-sufficient region. We obviously don't receive much from other regions and since most of the towns are landlocked, there's no reason to use ships all that much. You'll mostly find fishing boats since that's about the only thing Coumarine's harbor can bring in to benefit Kalos."

"What about tourists?" Latias interjected.

"I hear a ship comes around every couple of months, but there's never many people. Most just come in on planes like you two. Oh, we're here!"

The three of them stopped as they found themselves on the beach.

"We'll have to fly from here." Serena said. "It usually take a few hours to surf across, but we should be able to get there in under an hour by flying."

Ash nodded and unclipped Charizard's ball. He released the fire breathing lizard from it and told him what was going on. Charizard roared in acknowledgment before turning around and kneeling to give Ash and Serena a foot stool. Latias looked around before transforming back into her Eon form.

"Stay close to Charizard." Ash said before giving her a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you again when we get there."

Latias nodded and disappeared from sight. Ash hopped onto Charizard first and helped Serena up.

"I would hold on." He stated. "Alright buddy, let's go!"

Charizard spread his wings slowly and launched himself into the air with enough force to leave a small crater in the sand below them. Serena wrapped her hands around Ash's stomach, holding on for dear life. Ash started laughing as they soared into the air.

"How do you find this fun?!" Serena screamed.

Ash turned around and gave her a goofy smile.

"I don't know! I've always loved flying! It's like I'm in a completely different world when I'm in the air!"

Serena stared at him like he was crazy before shaking her head.

"_I guess there are some things I'll never understand."_

Charizard began to level out his ascent. Ash looked over his friend's shoulder. Everything below him looked like tiny. He looked ahead next and could see a tower far off in the distance.

"Is that where we're headed?"

Serena nodded without opening her eyes. She only assumed Ash was looking at the Tower of Mastery.

"That's the Tower of Mastery. It's rumored that the Guru who stays there is a descendant of the first human to ever achieve Mega Evolution. In fact, his daughter who is next in line is the town's Gym Leader. She's the only Gym Leader that can perform Mega Evolution as far as I know."

"Really? That's kind of surprising."

"I imagine the other Gym Leaders could do it, but they don't have the means to do so."

Ash turned around. This caught his interest.

"The means to do so?"

Serena nodded and held up her left arm. On it was a wristband with a stone in the center.

"This stone is called a Keystone." She explained. "As long as you have a deep bond with your Pokemon, a Keystone and a Mega Stone, you can perform Mega Evolution."

The Keystone was news to Ash.

"_Until now, I thought you only needed a deep bond and a Mega Stone. This complicates things."_

"_**Is something wrong?"**_

Ash glanced to his left where he could sense Latias' aura.

"_**Not really, just a little surprised is all. I'll let you know if something is up."**_

About half an hour into the flight, Ash began to feel a headache coming on. He rubbed his temples a bit to soothe it. The young champion put the headache to the back of his mind and tried to not think about it too much. Latias noticed Ash constantly rubbing his temples and checked in with him every few minutes.

"Finally, we're here!" Serena exclaimed, just barely opening her eyes. They were still a few minutes out from the town, but it was safe to say they had arrived in Shalour.

Ash simply grunted and lightly patted Charizard, signaling him to start his descent.

"Ash, are you ok? You look a little- OH MY GOD, ASH!" Serena screamed as Ash's body went lax and slipped off of Charizard.

The young champion began hurtling towards the sea. Latias broke invisibility and shot down after him. She quickly came up on him and matched his speed.

"_**Ash! Ash! Wake up! You need to wake up!"**_

Ash's eyes fluttered open. He looked around and gasped as he quickly put together the situation.

"_**Grab onto me! Quickly!"**_

Ash nodded and twisted his body into a nosedive. Latias maneuvered herself underneath him where he wrapped his arms around the base of her neck. Ash noticed how close they were to the water and braced for impact. He felt Latias slow down as much as possible before they shot into the water. After what seemed like forever, Ash slowly opened his eyes and found a surprise waiting for him.

"_**Amazing. This is beautiful."**_

Ash turned his head to Latias who was looking at the coral reef as well with wide eyes. Ash noticed he was breathing still, even underwater. Looking a little more closely, he could see a thin layer of psychic energy surrounding him. They both basked in the beautiful sight of the coral reef for what felt like decades before Latias tucked in her arms and slowly ascended. When they surfaced, Charizard was right above them. Serena looked down and sighed in relief after confirming they were both fine.


	13. Chapter 13

Ash and Latias reached the beach where Ash slid off of Latias' back. Sand blew past them as Charizard slowly landed a few feet in front of them. Serena jumped off of Charizard's back before he could land and stumbled in the sand as she ran towards him. She leapt forward and took the two of them in a tight embrace.

"Never scare me like that again! Either of you! You scared me half to death!" she cried with tears streaming down her face.

When Serena relinquished them from her hug, she led them over to a shaded area where they could all catch their breath. As soon as they sat down Latias turned to Ash with a worried expression. Ash sighed. He knew what was coming.

"_**Why didn't you tell either of us something was wrong? Actually, the better question is, what happened to you?"**_

Ash scratched the back of his head and stared at the ground. He glanced up at Latias who was still in her Eon form.

"I didn't think anything _was _wrong. I thought it was just a migraine or something. Then, all of a sudden I find myself falling through the sky. I honestly don't know why it happened."

Latias frowned and put her forehead against his.

"_**You don't have a fever. When did you first notice the headache?" **_she asked as she pulled back a bit.

"I don't know, around 30 minutes since we left?" He replied, unsure of himself. "It was just a dull pain, so I ignored it."

"_**Ash-"**_

Ash put his hands up.

"I know, I know, I should have told you. It just didn't seem that important."

Latias smiled and nuzzled him.

"_**I'm just glad you're safe. If I were to lose you…"**_

Ash let out a small sigh and embraced her.

"I'm sorry." He whispered quietly.

Serena fidgeted awkwardly feeling out of place in the whole situation. It didn't help that she could only hear half of the conversation. Ash noticed her and Charizard out of the corner of his eye and slowly let go of Latias.

"I suppose we should keep going." He said as he stood up with Latias.

Serena scrambled up and nodded.

"The town is only a mile or so away. We can walk the rest of the way."

Ash returned Charizard to his pokéball and thanked him. Serena started up for the trail followed closely by Ash and Latias who quickly transformed into her human form.

"So, what's Shalour like?" Ash asked as he stared at the looming tower off in the distance.

"It's a nice place. Not sure I would live there, but it definitely attracts any tourists we get in Kalos."

"Because of the tower, right?"

Serena nodded once.

"The few tourists who come to Shalour already know about Mega Evolution, whether it be from tales of old or a fable they came across in a library. The most dedicated end up staying at the tower so they can learn more and someday, hope to master its power to become stronger and come closer to their Pokémon."

"Even if they did learn about it, they can't do much without a Key Stone."

"You've hit the bull's-eye yet again. The Guru who owns the facility funds many businesses who deal in excavations. In exchange for his support, the crews send him any unidentifiable stones they find. Every other once in a while the crews will find a Key Stone and the Guru in turn gives it to a trainer he believes is worthy of it."

Ash fished around his pocket and took out the small stone Gary had given him. The professor had told him it wasn't meant for a Charizard which only made him more curious as to what powers, if any, the stone contained. He juggled a few ideas in his mind and something suddenly clicked.

"Are there any known Legendary Pokémon that can mega evolve?"

Serena turned around in surprise.

"Legendaries? Well, I don't think anyone's ever been able to catch one to find out."

"What if you didn't have to catch it? In fact, what if a Pokémon could mega evolve _without _needing a human trainer? Could a Pokémon activate mega evolution by itself?"

Serena stopped walking and blinked a few times before shaking her head.

"No, I mean, I don't know. I-Nobody's ever looked into it I guess, but why?"

Ash took off his backpack and fished around inside of it before pulling out a photo. He showed it to Serena who whistled in surprise.

"I've never seen a Genesect before."

"That's not the important bit, look at this Pokémon right here." Ash replied pointing to a light purple Pokémon floating on his other side. Latias peeked over and gasped.

"Is that Mewtwo? Why does he look so different?"

"Mewtwo? Who's Mewtwo?"

Ash turned to address Latias first.

"This is a different Mewtwo, and he's actually a she. A very temperamental one at that. I completely forgot, but she could transform into this right here and her power grew immensely when she did."

Serena brought a hand to her mouth and stared at the picture intensely. After a few minutes, Serena sighed.

"It certainly is interesting. I'm not sure how plausible the idea really is, but maybe it's worth investigating. I'm sure the Guru would like to hear about it. Also, have you met many Legendaries? I mean, for Arceus' sake, you have one as your wife."

Ash opened his mouth, but closed it right away.

"Let's just say I get caught up in a lot of stuff." He said as he started walking away.

Serena gawked at him and turned to Latias for answers. She shrugged as if to say 'Can't help you there' and ran off to catch up with Ash. She sighed and followed suit, giving up on her small endeavor.


	14. Chapter 14

Ash whistled as he took in the glory of the amazing piece of architecture before him. The design itself felt like it was ripped straight out of a fairy tale. He felt like the building itself contained some sort of mystical property.

"I was looking at it the entire trip here, but looking at it from here…" Ash remarked, trailing off at a loss for words.

Serena nodded.

"It's even better on the inside. It's essentially a treasure trove of information for Mega Evolution."

"Well, let's get to it." Ash replied. "We're burning daylight. Would you lead the way? You are more familiar with the area after all."

Serena took the lead and slowly walked them down the sandy beach telling them more about the surrounding area. She stopped in front of the arched entrance where she showed a security guard an ID card and said something to him as she motioned to Ash and Latias. The guard stepped to the side and let them pass.

"A security guard seems a little unusual in a place like this." Latias remarked as they were climbing a flight of steps.

Serena pointed out several people ranging from early teens to early adults were sitting on the stairs pouring over books.

"The tower serves as a school and a library. Not just everyone has entrance, but the tower is recognized as a national landmark and is given free security. After the Lysandre event 3 years ago, security has been pretty tight."

Ash nodded.

"Makes sense. It'd be a huge loss if you were to lose the information stored here."

The group walked through the large doors and the atmosphere immediately changed. The air smelled like aged paper and sunlight could be seen pouring in from the large, narrow windows above them. Another thing that Ash noticed was the large statue of a Lucario erected upon a spherical base. He trailed his eyes down and found a door in the base the statue stood on. Ash watched Serena walk towards it and followed. Just as Serena was about to open the door, it burst open and all Ash saw was a flash of yellow before everything went black.

"Oh my Arceus! I'm so sorry!" exclaimed a random voice.

Ash felt some pressure lift up from his chest as someone helped him up. His vision began to return as he was righted himself. He focused his eyes and shook his head a bit.

"Are you alright?! I'm so, so very sorry! I didn't know anyone was out here!"

Ash looked up and saw a young girl about his age jumping around on her… rollerblades? He looked down again to confirm and sure enough, she was wearing rollerblades. She had her hands up to her chest and appeared very distressed. Ash just waved his hand at her.

"It's alright, no harm no foul." Ash replied as he flinched from a jolt of pain surging from the new bump on his head. "Well, I guess there was a little harm."

Ash looked over and found himself being supported by a Lucario. He thanked it and removed his arm from the Pokémon's shoulder. It jogged over beside the girl and simply stared at him. Latias walked over and took a look at his bump as Serena turned to the young girl.

"I didn't expect to see you here Korrina. Are you off-duty right now?"

Korrina, as Serena called her, stopped jumping around and shook her head quickly.

"No, I just had a small break in between challengers so I decided to visit gramps. It's been kind of hectic these past couple of weeks with the League coming up. Trainers are pouring in and trying to get last minute badges."

Serena nodded and Ash looked over to Korrina.

"You're the Gym Leader for the town?"

Korrina nodded enthusiastically and gasped.

"Are you a challenger? I'd be glad to fight you, but I'm booked for the next few days. Actually, haven't I seen you before?"

The young girl leaned in close and inspected him. Her eyes suddenly lit up and she stifled a scream. She had returned to jumping up and down.

"Y-You're Ash Ketchum! The youngest Champion in the history of the League! I can't believe you're actually here! Can I have an autograph!? Actually, no, would you battle me?! Holy jeez, I can't believe this is actually happening!"

Ash's head started spinning at the torrent words flooding his ears. He put his hands up and she immediately stopped talking.

"A little slower, please?"

Korrina nodded and took a deep breath.

"I'm a big fan of yours! I started following your ventures shortly before you overcame the League and became the Champion of Kanto. I've been wondering where you were! You disappeared almost immediately after becoming Champion and then I hear rumours that you only took the title and not the position?"

Ash nodded to all of what she said as he processed it.

"Well, it's not a rumour. I didn't want the responsibilities that came with the position and just let Lance keep it. My disappearance, well, I just went home to Pallet."

Korrina's shoulder sagged a little at the news, but perked up almost immediately.

"You're still technically Champion, right?"

Ash nodded.

"Would it be alright if we had a battle? It doesn't have to be on the book or anything and I can most definitely fit in a battle for you!"

Ash scratched the back of his head and looked up.

"I don't know. I haven't battled in a long time. I'm probably a little rusty and I only have one Pokémon on me."

Latias nudged him a little.

"Come on, it'll be a refreshing experience. Who knows, maybe you won't get thrashed."

Ash lightly pushed her with a small chuckle.

"Alright, you know what, why not? I'll have a battle with you. Just tell me the time and place and I'll be there."

Korrina's smile, if at all possible, grew wider.

"We'll battle in my Gym tomorrow at 7:00 P.M. I close early on weekends so it all works out!"

Ash stuck his hand out and Korrina shook it with glee. She immediately left without another word. Lucario turned to follow but stopped and stared at him for a few more seconds. Ash knew why and didn't say anything. He simply smiled and waved. Lucario eventually turned back and ran off after Korrina swiftly.

"That's a fast Lucario. I'm willing to bet that's who she'll use in the battle tomorrow. It's good that Charizard has an advantage on it."

"Don't get too cocky." Serena stated. "Korrina may not look it, but she's one of not the strongest Gym leader here in Kalos."

Ash nodded.

"I could tell. Her Lucario is certainly powerful. It had a strong aura, stronger and more pronounced than most others. It's going to be an interesting battle." He replied with a smile.

"You look excited." Latias remarked.

Ash clenched his hands into fists. They were shaking. He didn't need to say anything. Latias could read his emotions and Serena was a fellow trainer. Both in their own unique way understood his blood was boiling from excitement. Serena clapped her hands together catching Ash and Latias' attention.

"Okay, so shall we meet the Guru?"


	15. Chapter 15

Serena led them to the door from which Korrina had seemingly exploded from and gave it a few taps. A muffled voice told them the door was unlocked. Serena proceeded to open it and stepped inside. Ash and Latias followed her inside. At first glance, the room was nothing special. There was a kitchen separated by a marble counter to Ash's left and the rest of the room appeared to be something similar to a large family room. There was a large, circular rug in the center with a large wooden table resting on it. The table was flanked by a couple of couches. What caught Ash's attention most was the walls, or what was visible of them. The entirety of the walls were covered by large shelves containing numerous volumes of large tomes. Ash noticed movement from the corner of his eye and turned towards it. There was a man, who he could only assume was the Guru, making tea.

"Make yourself at home. I'll be with you in a minute."

Serena lightly pushed Ash and Latias towards the couches and sat them down. She sat on the couch opposite of them. The Guru came forward and set a tray down. He then gave each of them a cup of tea before taking a seat beside Serena. He looked to Ash and smiled.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ash Ketchum. I am Gurkinn, the current Guru of the Tower of Mastery. To what do I have the honor of being visited by you?"

"You know who I am?" Ash asked slightly surprised.

Gurkinn nodded and set down his tea.

"You're quite the star here in Kalos. It may not seem like it, but many people know of you. What you accomplished is an incredible feat. There aren't many people who don't know who you are."

Ash thought about it for a few seconds and shrugged it off.

"I suppose you're right. To answer your question, I'm looking for information on Mega Evolution. Professor Sycamore told us we should come to see you, and Serena led us here." Ash said motioning his head to the young, female trainer.

"Master Gurkinn, Ash is here to collect data and information on Mega Evolution for a friend of his back in Kanto. Is there any way we can help him?" Serena asked.

"Oh, and who might this friend of yours be?"

"His name is Gary Oak. The grandson of Professor Samuel Oak. He's been studying Mega Evolution for a while now. Due to family related issues, Gary couldn't make the trip himself and so he asked me to help."

"Professor Oak? You know him personally?"

Ash nodded.

"His family lives in the same town as I do."

Gurkinn went silent and appeared to be deep in thought. Latias glanced at Ash who shrugged. After a few minutes passed, Gurkinn nodded to himself.

"I'll provide to you as much assistance as I can. Do you intend to stay here in Shalour for a while?"

"A week, at most."

"In that case, I'll have a room prepared for you here in the tower. You can stay free of charge and I'll even give you access to our more valuable books."

Ash appeared a little flabbergasted.

"You don't have to do that much for me! I can stay in a hotel. Money isn't really an issue."

"Nonsense, it'd be rude if I didn't at least offer a place to stay for the Champion of Kanto. It's not like you'll be in the way."

Ash glanced to Latias and had a quick mental exchange. Ash sighed and gave up after getting lectured on etiquette by Latias.

"Alright, we'll take you up on your offer." Ash replied.

"Excellent, Serena, please, go and tell Michael to prepare a room for two. He should be out on the training grounds right now."

Serena nodded and stood up. She was almost out the door when Gurkinn spoke up again.

"Oh, yes, Serena! Once I'm finished with Mr. Ketchum, I need to speak with you. It's rather important."

Serena nodded and closed the door leaving Ash and Latias alone with Gurkinn. Ash recalled another reason they had come here and pulled out the stone from his backpack.

"Master Gurkinn, could I have you look at this? Gary gave it to me claiming it was a mega stone for Charizard, but when I had Professor Sycamore look at it, he couldn't identify it."

Gurkinn leaned forward and took the stone. He held it gently and raised it against the light for better contrast. After a few minutes he pulled out a cloth from a pocket, laid it on the table and set the stone down on it. He stood up and retrieved a book from one of the many shelves. Ash watched as Gurkinn silently flipped through pages, stopping every so often to compare the stone to something in the book. Latias, who grew bored of just watching, stood up and began browsing the many books.

"Hey, did you know humans used to eat Pokémon?" Latias asked munching on a piece of toast.

Ash looked over at her with a confused expression. It had been a couple of hours since Ash had given Gurkinn the stone and the area he was working in was piled high with books. Ash had been falling in and out of sleep before Latias had asked him that question.

"Are you eating his food? Didn't you give me a lecture on proper etiquette just before?" Ash whispered bopping her on the head.

Latias frowned and rubbed her head.

"I was hungry though." She mumbled.

Ash glanced up at the clock and yawned. It was still only 6 P.M., but what with his plummeting to his death and his encounter with the excitable Korrina, his energy was all but spent at the moment. He stretched his arms and laid down, resting his head on Latias' lap. He focused his attention on the book Latias was reading and attempted to read it, but reading sideways wasn't something he was particularly skilled at.

"_**What are you reading?"**_ he asked through telepathy.

"_**It's a book containing a bunch of old legends. It's really interesting. There's one that talks about a time when it wasn't that uncommon for a human to marry a Pokémon."**_

"_**Really? I never knew that. It'd be nice if it were like that today."**_

Latias nodded.

"_**Yeah, it would be. I wouldn't have to hide myself from people anymore if it were like that."**_

"_**We could enjoy ourselves without fear of persecution. I guess we should be grateful for how understanding everyone we know is. I nearly wet myself at the thought of introducing you to all of my friends and family. I wasn't sure how they would react at all."**_

"_**You weren't the only one. I felt like I was going to die when you introduced me to your mother."**_

Ash chuckled and was greeted by a loud slam in turn. The noise came from the other side of the mountain of books Gurkinn currently occupied. The young champion sat up as Gurkinn moved books out of his way. Once he had enough room, Gurkinn looked up at Ash with a tired expression.

"I apologize for the wait, it took me a little long- Is that my bread?"

Latias quickly ate the last of the toast and shook her head quickly. Gurkinn stared at her for a few seconds before shrugging.

"As I was saying, it took me a little longer than expected, but I've come to a conclusion." He said sliding the stone forward.

Ash leaned forward, anticipating something amazing.

"This stone is… unidentifiable."


	16. Chapter 16

"What?! You mean it's worthless?!" Ash exclaimed.

"Now, now, calm down. That isn't what I said. After examining it, I can say with certainty it is in fact a mega stone, but the Pokémon it belongs to is unknown as far as I know. Now, given I have more time, I may be able to figure it out. With that said, would you mind if I kept the stone for the remainder of the time you are here to conduct research on it?"

"Well, I don't see a problem with that. It's not like it does much good for me anyways." Ash replied sitting down, a little calmer after hearing Gurkinn's explanation.

"I'm going to need as much time as I can possibly get to study this stone, but I still have students who are searching for answers to their own questions. Maybe Agatha would be willing to watch over their lessons." He mumbled to himself staring at the stone.

There was a soft knock on the door and Serena entered the room looking rather exhausted. She walked over to the table and stared at the pile of books that had occupied her space with accusatory eyes. She shrugged and crashed down beside Ash forcing him to move over a bit. The female trainer laid her head back on the couch and closed her eyes as she let out an exhaustive sigh.

"This is nice." She mumbled.

"You look like you've been to the Distortion World and back." Latias stated.

"I _feel _like it!" Serena replied sitting forward. "After I found Michael, I met some students I befriended a couple years ago and wanted to battle me. After I battled them, I got roped into helping the librarian hunt down students who had books past their due date, and _then _I got lost."

Gurkinn looked at her with a confused expression.

"Lost? You've spent countless hours in the Tower of Mastery. How could you possibly get lost?"

Serena threw up her hands in exasperation.

"I don't know! I really, don't know! It confuses me just as much as it confuses you!"

Latias started giggling at Serena's overdramatic account of what had happened to her in the past couple of hours. Ash couldn't help but chuckle as well at the misfortune that had fallen upon his friend. Serena finally let her shoulders drop in defeat and pointed to the door.

"Michael is outside. He'll show you two to your room."

Ash nodded and stood up. He held out a hand and assisted Latias up as well. Ash noticed she still had the same book from before tucked in her left arm. She seemed to have a genuine interest in the fables inside of it.

"Master Gurkinn, would it be alright if we borrowed this?" Ash asked nicking the book from Latias' possession and handing it over to him.

"Hmm? Oh, yes, I don't mind. It doesn't have anything about Mega Evolution though. It's just an old folklore book."

"I'm aware of that, but it seems my wife has taken an interest in it." Ash replied giving it back to Latias.

Gurkinn nodded.

"Yes, as long as I get it back by the end of the week. It does hold some sentimental value, er, what was your name? I don't believe you ever introduced yourself."

"I'm Ruby, it's been a pleasure Mr. Gurkinn."

Gurkinn smiled and nodded.

"If anything it's been my pleasure, Mrs. Ketchum."

Ash and Latias showed themselves out where they were met by a young boy around the age of 13. He bowed in a very formal fashion.

"Hello, I'm Michael. I've prepared a room for you. If you would follow me, I'll show you to it."

Ash and Latias nodded and followed the young boy as he ran up the stairs. He would stop and wait once he got too far ahead and began bounding up them again once they got closer. Latias smiled at him and giggled at his boyish antics.

"Do you like it here at the Tower?" she asked, raising her voice so Michael could hear her.

He stopped running and looked up. It didn't take long for him to nod.

"It's my home. How could I not like it here?"

"Your home? You're not a student?"

He shook his head at Latias' question.

"I am, but I was taken in by Master Gurkinn 5 years ago after my parents died."

Latias mouth opened a bit from shock at how blunt the boy was.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't know!"

"It's alright. I do miss them, but I've accepted that they're gone. Korrina found me in the rubble of my old house in Geosenge after that huge crystal erupted from the ground. She brought me back here and Master Gurkinn has been like a father to me ever since. A strict one at that." He replied with a smile full of innocence.

Ash furrowed his brow. Latias noticed his change of expression.

"_**What's wrong?"**_

Ash shifted his eyes from the ground to Latias and then to Michael who had resumed running up the stairs. He looked ahead for a few seconds before shaking his head.

"It's nothing. Just thinking to myself."

Latias frowned at his response. If he had been thinking about something, she would of have heard it. Their minds were still bridged from earlier.

"_Maybe if I bridge our minds again."_

Latias attempted to bridge their minds, but she was met with a splitting headache and let out a loud yelp. The intense pain of it shot through her body and her legs buckled underneath it all. Ash caught her as she fell forward and steadied her.

"Are you alright?!" he asked worried from the sudden fall.

Latias nodded slowly. The pain was instantaneous and everything happened very quickly. As fast as the pain had spread, it disappeared just as quickly.

"I'm fine. I guess I slipped."

Ash sighed a breath of relief.

"Don't scare me like that." He said as they arrived at their room.

Latias watched Ash speak with Michael, however she didn't hear a word they said. Her attention was focused on Ash. She stared at him with worried eyes, almost frightened by what had happened. It had been the first time Latias ever experienced something like it. Ash's mind had never rejected a bridge, and to reject it so violently scared Latias more than anything.


	17. Chapter 17

Ash set down the book he'd been reading in the dim lighting. Stretching his arms back, he took look around the room. It was surprisingly similar to the room Gurkinn stayed in, only less personal. There was only a single bookshelf chock-full of guides and studies. The kitchen was also a little smaller, but Ash didn't mind considering the mini-fridge was stocked with snacks and beverages. His eyes finally came to the bed in the corner of the room and smiled warmly. Latias was sleeping soundly in her Eon form, curled up like a ball. The book she borrowed from Gurkinn lay near the edge of the bed where she left it after falling asleep. Curiosity began pulling at Ash's mind as he looked at the book. He quietly pushed his chair back and walked over to the bed where he slowly lowered himself onto the edge. Picking up the book, he flipped through some pages until something caught his eye.

"_The Hall of Legends?"_

Ash began reading the tale. It talked about a hall that Arceus, the God of Pokémon, was said to live. The hall, however, was not its own place. It's supposed to be the main hall of a much larger palace built from beautiful white marble that never lost its shine no matter what happened to it. Ash became more and more interested at what it was describing. A hall where all legendary Pokémon met to discuss issues that were plaguing them. After a while, sleep began to take over Ash. He tried shaking it away, but it was all futile. Laying the book down, Ash slowly fell back and closed his eyes. As if this were some sort of cue, he felt something change. His body felt light, almost as if it was a feather. Maybe it was just a really nice bed.

"Are you going to sleep forever, Ash Ketchum?" a mysterious, feminine voice asked.

His eyes shot open. Big mistake. He immediately covered his eyes from the brightness of his surroundings. After a few seconds, he opened them slowly and allowed them to adjust. Looking around, Ash determined he was _not _in the garden. He stood on a slightly raised circular platform in the middle of a huge room. On each side of him, there were floating orbs of light, but the pattern was inconsistent. The young champion jumped back in surprise when one of the orbs moved towards him. It flew in front of his face and then went around him a few times before returning to his face.

"_**You've grown quite a bit!" **_a voice rang followed by a giggle.

Ash stumbled back and fell on his backside.

"_**Oops! Looks like you took a tumble! I would pick you up, but as you can see, I don't have any arms**__!"_ the voice said as the orb began flying around in circles.

"_**Mew! Settle down! We're not here to play games!" **_growled a deeper voice as a second orb moved forward.

"_**Aww! I'm just having a little fun with him!"**_

Ash stared at the two orbs with a mystified expression. In his 7 years of travel, he'd never seen anything quite this strange. His mouth hung open as the two voices began continued to argue with each other. Ash's attention shifted to something he caught from the corner of his eye. A woman dressed in a long flowing robe accompanied by a boy younger than himself. He could clearly make out her eyes as they pierced him like a million suns shining through a haze of darkness. Ash suddenly felt like every action he took should be calculated. He could feel her judging him. She slowly raised her hand and the two orbs immediately stopped arguing and returned to their original spots. Nodding in satisfaction, she motioned for Ash to step forward. He did so without question. Stopping in front of the desk, Ash kept his eyes to the ground.

"There is no reason for you to be so frightened, child. Look up so we may speak as if we were equals." She said loudly.

Ash hesitated. Was he being tested? Should he raise his eyes? Suddenly he felt someone beside him. He glanced up at the figure and stepped back in surprise.

"Latios?!" he exclaimed.

Latios was in the same form Ash had last seen him, but a little healthier looking. He looked down at Ash with a smile.

"We can talk later. For now, we have an audience with Arceus."

"Arceus?" Ash asked looking over at the woman. It took him a few seconds, but it finally clicked and his eyes went so wide the boy beside Arceus made a comment causing her to crack a smile.

"Yes, I am Arceus. I'm sure this comes as a surprise to you, though we have met once before very briefly in your own world."

Ash nodded slowly, still shocked from everything that was happening.

"Of course, back then, I wasn't aware of your destiny."

This caught Ash's attention, pulling him from his thoughts.

"My destiny?"

Arceus nodded.

"Once every few generation, a child is born into the world who is destined to assist the legendaries. This child is called the Chosen One. However, the Chosen One is never known to us until he's grown and this is a problem for us. With no prior knowledge of who the Chosen One will be, there's a chance he could pose a threat to us if his intentions are evil in nature. Today, I've called you here so that we may determine if you can be trusted."

"We?" Ash asked looking around at the orbs of light. He recalled that the one orb had called the other Mew.

"You mean, these orbs here are the other legendaries?"

"_**Correct. Though, we are not physically present." **_Replied a voice with a heavy, metallic tone.

"_**I see no reason to even hold this meeting. The boy has proven time and time again that he's willing to put his life on the line to help us, asking for nothing in exchange." **_Spoke a deep, calming voice.

"I understand your sentiments Lugia. I have no doubt we can trust him. This is simply a formality. We've done it since the dawn of time and I see no reason to stop now." Arceus replied.

"Lugia? Then, was that other one… Dialga?" Ash asked pointing at one of the lights.

Arceus raised an eyebrow.

"Impressive. You've never heard them speak before either have you? You should take a page out of his book, Jeremy." She said looking over to the boy beside her. Jeremy flushed in embarrassment and looked away.

"_**If this is just for formalities, can we just skip to the vote?" **_asked the gruff voice from earlier.

"_**For once, I agree with you." **_replied a voice just a little higher pitched than Lugia's.

"You never were one for being patient were you, Groudon? Yes, I suppose we can. All in favor of trusting Ash Ketchum as the Chosen One, say I."

The hall shook as a unison of voices replied. Latios muttered something, but Ash couldn't hear him.

"Unanimous vote. I can't say I'm surprised." Arceus stated. "Anyone who wishes to leave may do so."

Most of the orbs disappeared on the spot, but two remained. They floated towards the desk and stopped beside Ash and Latios.

"You wish to stay, Lugia, Dialga?"

"_**I would like to listen in, if it doesn't bother you." **_Dialga replied.

"_**As would I." **_Lugia added.

Arceus nodded and looked over to Ash.

"Although it may not have been a formal vote, all of the legendaries present have decided they can trust you as the Chosen One. As the Chosen One, it is your duty to assist the legendaries when they are in times of need. Do you have any questions before we continue?"

"Don't I have a say in the matter? Can I simply decline being the Chosen One?"

Arceus was silent for a few seconds before shaking her head.

"Destiny is not something so easily changed. There are some things even I cannot control. If I could, I would take care of everything myself, but that's not how it works. I understand how you feel. Having this much put on you at once is not easy, but some things are unavoidable in life and should simply be accepted."

Latios stepped forward now.

"Arceus, Ash is still a child, even in the eyes of other human beings. We should wait for him to grow older and mature more before putting this on him. The legendaries have done well by themselves, what's a few more years mean to us?"

"Latios, you've voiced your concerns over the safety of Ash before and I've taken this into consideration, but due to the current circumstances, it's best he knows now. You know as well as I do what the future may hold. Ash is an invaluable resource."

Latios clenched his fists and stepped back with an angry expression. Ash studied Latios for a few minutes as Arceus spoke to Lugia. After a few minutes of thought, he stepped forward stopping Lugia mid-sentence.

"I accept my fate as the Chosen One, but I want something in return."

"Name it."

Ash stared into her piercing eyes and hardened his resolve.

"I want a family."


	18. Chapter 18

"A family?! Ash, don't you think that's a bit-"

"Let him finish." Arceus said, interrupting Latios.

Latios nodded as he let his shoulders sag a little. Ash knew Latios was worried about him and Latias, but it was time he took things into his own hands. He let out a deep breath and turned to Arceus.

"Latias and I are both aware that we can't have children. I'm human and she's a Pokémon. It was obvious from the start. We knew what we were getting ourselves into. So, in exchange for my services as the Chosen One, I want you to give us a child."

Arceus had taken a seat as Ash spoke. She leaned against the arm of the chair and stared at him. Latios kept switching his attention between them, unsure of what he should do. After a few minutes, Arceus smiled.

"If I give you a child, I expect you to do your utmost to help _my_ children."

"Of course."

"Then I suppose we are done here. In exchange for your services as the Chosen One, I will bestow you, Ash Ketchum and your mate, Latias, with a child of your own. To avoid any problems, I will wait until you are finished with your business in Kalos before giving you a child. Is this fine by you?"

Ash nodded. Arceus stood up and looked to the two orbs that were still present.

"Do you have anything you wish to add?" she asked.

"_**Chosen One, I was never able to thank you properly in the Orange Islands. If not for you, things may have not turned out so well. I'm sure the other three feel the same. You have my gratitude and should you ever need a helping hand, you can call on me."**_

Ash smiled cheerfully at the orb which Lugia spoke from.

"No problem, it was fun helping you guys out. Certainly an adventure I'm not about to forget. Also, I appreciate the offer, but how could I possibly call on you?" he asked scratching the back of his neck.

He heard a deep, guttural sound which he figured was Lugia laughing.

"_**That's a good observation. I suppose there is no way for you to call on me. Then, I guess I'll leave you with a bit of wisdom. The actions of a single person can change the world, for better or for worse. Goodbye, Chosen One, may we meet again." **_

Ash waved to the orb as it disappeared from his sight. Arceus turned her attention to the remaining orb and looked at it questioningly.

"_**I haven't as much to say as Lugia, so for now, I wish you luck in your travels. Goodbye." **_Dialga said as his orb disappeared.

The four who remained in the hall stayed silent for a few seconds after Dialga departed. Jeremy, the boy who silently stood by Arceus whispered something to her and left the room leaving Ash and Latios alone with a literal god. Latios still appeared a little out of it and Ash was simply admiring the white marble.

"Since we're done here, I suppose you'll want to speak with the Chosen One alone?" Arceus asked, looking at Latios.

He nodded in response and bowed to her.

"If you'll excuse us."

Ash felt Latios put his hand on his shoulder and his surroundings immediately changed. He yelped and stumbled a bit once his feet were on solid ground. His head swiveled left and right trying to understand what had happened. It wasn't long before he realized he was in the garden.

"You should really warn me before doing things like that." He sighed.

"I apologize for the abruptness of it, but I needed to speak with you as soon as I could." Latios replied.

"About what?" Ash asked sitting on the swing he had originally found out Latias' true identity.

Latios looked at him with a worried expression.

"Don't you think it's a little early to be thinking about a family?"

"Maybe."

"Then why did you ask of such a thing from Arceus?! You should wait a few more years and then ask! Honestly, I didn't want Arceus to bring you in like this. You have such a promising life ahead of you. You don't have to waste that on the legendaries. Just let someone else take care of them!"

"You're a bad liar." Ash replied with a light smile.

Latios' eyes widened and he stepped back as if Ash was looming over him.

"You're not worried about me. You're worried about Latias' happiness."

Latios opened his mouth to argue, but Ash cut him off.

"I don't blame you. You spent your entire life protecting Alto Mare alongside her, your sister. After all that time, how could you not put her happiness first? That's why you let her go so easily when I returned for her. You knew she was happy."

Latios stared at the ground. Ash had hit the bulls-eye.

"Then, would you reconsider accepting your position as the Chosen One?" he asked quietly.

Ash shook his head and walked over to the fountain. Latios closely followed him. Ash stared into the water and saw Latias and himself laying on their bed in the Tower of Mastery.

"Latias also wants a child." Ash said staring at the Eon in the water. "This is something we both want."

Latios watched him carefully. After a minute of thought, he silently consented his defeat on the matter.

"As the Chosen One, you'll be travelling a lot. Do you really want to be away from her so much?"

"Of course not, but this is something only I can do from the sounds of it. Latias will understand. I'm sure of it."

Latios racked his brain, trying to think of any other argument. Nothing came up and he sighed in defeat. Ash pat his shoulders and smiled.

"There's no need to worry. I'll protect Latias with my life."

Latios smiled back at the young champion and nodded. The world around them shook a bit.

"Guess I'm waking up, huh?" Ash stated looking around.

"It would appear so."

The world shook again, only a little more violently.

"I guess this is it for now." Ash said.

"Before you go, I wish to leave you with some knowledge on the inner workings of the legendaries. In the physical realm where you reside, legendaries are not allowed to interfere with humans unless directly attacked. There have been cases where this rule was broken, but those legendaries were harshly punished. Take that to heart. In most cases, you will not be dealing with the legendaries directly. That is all."

Latios waved to him as his world became dark. He once again found himself in a limbo state, waiting for his body to wake up. After what felt like hours, his eye's finally opened. He sat up and stretched with a huge yawn. He looked down at Latias who was still sleeping peacefully. Her rhythmic breathing was calming to listen to. He smiled and leaned over, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Things are going to become a lot more interesting for us." He whispered.

Latios watched Ash wake up from the fountain. The blue Eon waved his hand over the water, dissipating the images and instead saw how own reflection.

"Please, do not fail."


	19. Chapter 19

Latias slowly rose from the bed and stretched her wings with a yawn. Her ears twitched a little. Something felt off. She looked around the dimly lit room and noticed her husband was nowhere in sight. The Eon slowly floated over to the mini-fridge where a note was taped to it. She leaned forward and read it.

Training w/ Charizard up on the balcony. Left some breakfast in the fridge for you!  
-Love, Ash

The dragoness pouted, wishing he had awoken her. She would have loved watching him train. It was a side of him she'd yet to see. Pushing her thoughts to the back of her mind, she opened the fridge and slid out a plate filled with scrambled eggs and other such breakfast items. She giggled at the overabundance of food occupying the plate knowing Ash had a bottomless pit for a stomach. As soon as she set the plate down a small vibration shook the room. Curious, Latias transformed into her human form and adopted her normal, plain white dress and let her bright red hair drop to her waist. She knelt down and checked her sandals were snug before heading out onto the stairwell.

"Oh, Mrs. Ketchum! How are you this morning?"

Latias turned and saw Michael coming up the steps.

"I'm good, and you? What are you doing up here so early?" she replied with a smile.

"Master Gurkinn asked me to tell your husband to tone down his training. He felt the vibrations down in his room." He replied.

Latias chuckled nervously at this. Of course Ash would go overboard.

"I was going up there anyways. I'll tell him for you."

Michael hesitated for a few seconds before nodding.

"Thank you. I'll be going then."

Latias waved to Michael as he descended the stairs. She, in turn, ascended the stairwell. It was mostly quiet as she went up, excluding the occasional roars from Charizard. Latias was quite surprised by Charizard's language. The roars grew louder and louder and the vibrations grew stronger as she closed in on her destination. It wasn't too long until she was standing in the doorway to a large, stone balcony. Before she could step out onto it, an orange blur shot past her. She instinctively threw her hands up as the wind blew past her.

"Good! Now, let's try Flamethrower one more time!"

Latias fixed her attention on Ash who was standing a few meters in front of her. He tossed a rock up into the air and caught it again. She watched as he planted a foot and took a pitcher's stance.

"Burn it to a crisp, buddy!" he shouted as he flung the stone out into the air.

The stone soared through the air only to be enveloped by an intense Flamethrower. As soon as he finished his pass by the rock, Latias noticed the ashes of the rock getting dispersed by the wind. She clapped her hands lightly catching Ash's attention. The young champion flashed her a quick smile before calling Charizard down for a break.

"Hey, didn't notice you there." He said jogging over to her. "Did you eat the breakfast I left for you?"

She nodded and wiped away some soot on his cheek.

"I did, but you were training so hard that you were shaking the tower. Master Gurkinn wanted to tell you to calm down a bit."

"So, you didn't eat your breakfast?" Ash asked with a pout.

Latias hung her head down in exasperation and sighed.

"That's what you focused on? Anyways, tone down your training a bit!" she stated bopping his nose.

Ash chuckled and nodded.

"We're done anyways. I'm going to take Charizard to the Pokémon Center so he's not tired for today's match."

The large lizard landed beside him and nodded as if reinforcing Ash's plan. Ash began checking Charizard's body to make sure there weren't any scratches or bruises.

"Could you hand me my bag? It's right there near the door."

Latias pivoted her body and checked where Ash had pointed. Picking it up, she noticed it seemed a little heavier than before and peeked inside. Tucked in between some Potions and other items was the book she had borrowed from Gurkinn the night before. Now that she thought about it, it hadn't been on the bed when she woke up.

"Why do you have this?"

"Hm, oh, I was reading it last night and found it was actually really interesting, so I brought it with me so I could read it in between breaks. I would've asked first, but you were sleeping and you seemed so comfortable." He replied.

Latias giggled at his response and handed him his bag.

"It's ok. I'm not angry at you. I was just curious. Let's get going to the Pokémon Center!" she exclaimed pulling Ash along.

The young champion laughed as she pulled him down the steps. By the time they reached the bottom, they were having an intense tickling war. The tickling continued on to the Pokémon Center where Nurse Joy watched in amusement as the two young adults went at each other like children. Charizard sighed and took his Pokéball off of Ash's belt and put it on the counter. Nurse Joy told Ash that he would be notified when Charizard was finished with treatment. The two tickle monsters collapsed onto a couch, exhausted from their childish antics. Latias rested her head on Ash' shoulder and let out a small sigh as they enjoyed the peace and quiet. Ash wrapped his arm around her shoulder and laid his head back.

"After this week is over, I want to travel to Geosenge." Ash said out of the blue.

Latias only slightly shifted her head.

"The town Michael is frwaom? Why?"

"I feel like we might find something there that can help us with our research."

Latias thought about it for a minute. She knew Ash was asking for her approval. She smiled to herself and decided to try and bridge their minds. A small amount of fear was nagging at her from the back of her mind considering what happened the day before. She closed her eyes and envisioned a bridge. Her smile grew a little wider when she felt the familiar feeling of Ash's mind.

"_**You don't have to tell me. I'd follow you regardless."**_

She felt Ash tighten his arm around her slightly. He leaned his head over and kissed her head.

"_**I really, really love you."**_

"**Ash Ketchum, Charizard is ready for pick-up. I repeat, Ash Ketchum, your Charizard is ready for pick-up."** Nurse Joy's voice stated over the PA system.

Ash slowly rose from the couch and offered his hand to Latias who accepted it. Just as she got up, she gave Ash a quick peck on the lips. She did this so fast Ash didn't realize it happened until she had already walked past him.

"Come on dear, we don't have all day!" she stated.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming." He replied with a smile.


	20. Chapter 20

"Serena! Over here!" Latias shouted.

Serena quickly skirted around the edge of the field. She saw Ash and Korrina standing in the middle, having a conversation while the referee was making some final preparations. A frown crossed her face as she thought of what the end results might be. She had never battled Ash personally, but she could say with confidence that Serena was an extremely tough opponent. As she ascended the steps into the raised bleachers, Serena pulled out some equipment that were foreign to Latias.

"What's all that?"

"Recording equipment." Serena replied curtly. "Master Gurkinn can't make it so he asked me to record the battle so he can see how Korrina and Lucario are doing as a team."

Serena herself noticed a strange device beside Latias.

"What's that?"

Latias picked it up and examined it.

"I'm not entirely sure myself, but Ash told me it can read the power released by Mega Evolution."

"Interesting, I think Professor Sycamore has a similar item." She stated as she fitted the camera onto a tripod.

"They're about to start." Latias said looking ahead.

Serena tore her focus from the camera and sure enough, Ash and Korrina had taken their places on opposite ends of the field. Both of them had huge smiles plastered on their faces and even if it wasn't visible, a fire was burning in their eyes. For Ash, this was his first battle in a long time and for Korrina, it was a chance to challenge a trainer she respected. Serena started recording as soon as the referee raised a red and green flag.

"This will be an unofficial gym match between challenger Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town and Gym Leader Korrina of Shalour city. Only 1 Pokémon will be allowed in this match. As per the rules of the League, Gym Leader Korrina will be the first to reveal her Pokémon. Begin!"

"I'm expecting a strong fight, Champion." Korrina yelled as she threw her Pokéball. "Lucario, I choose you!"

The Aura Pokémon burst from the pokéball and let out a growl as he took a battle stance.

"I'm expecting the same from you, Korrina!" He replied throwing up his own ball. "Let's show these two our strength! I choose you, Charizard!"

Charizard burst from his ball brighter, if at all possible, than Lucario and soared down to the ground. When he landed he let out an ear-splitting roar that seemed to shake the foundations of the building. Serena held her hands over her ears until it stopped. Her entire body shook as she stared at the large lizard.

"Arceus! I've never heard such a powerful roar before! Not even Calem's Charizard sounds like that!"

Latias smiled as a shiver ran down her spine. She could feel the raw power emanating from both parties. It was similar to when she met Mewtwo for the first time.

"Charizard _is _supposed to be one of Ash's strongest Pokémon." The dragoness stated.

Ash had been watching the two in the bleachers and brought his attention back to the battle. He watched Korrina carefully, waiting for something to happen. Almost as if he had superhuman vision, Ash noticed her body tense up.

"_Now."_

"Flamethrower!" he commanded.

Orange and red flames spilled out from Charizard's mouth towards Lucario. The Aura pokemon deftly avoided the flames and pulled out a bone-like object.

"Nice dodge, Lucario! Hit him with a Bone Rush!"

Lucario nodded and dashed toward Charizard leaving a dust cloud in his wake. Ash watched as Charizard successfully parried the clubs by using his wings as shields. The move was ground-type so it shouldn't even affect him. Ash thought about this and came to a conclusion.

"_She's scouting us. She'll probably avoid attacking with effective moves and keep dodging. We have to force her hand."_

"Charizard! Grab a club and toss him high in the air!"

Charizard responded instantaneously. He spread his wings quickly, knocking Lucario off-balance and grabbed one of his clubs. Lucario let go of the club. Without waiting for a command, Charizard shifted his body and spun around smashing the club into Lucario's side. The Aura Pokemon was sent flying, but quickly regained his footing. He held his side and glared at Charizard as the large lizard crushed the club in its hand.

"Aura Sphere, go!"

"Fly up high and dodge!"

Charizard launched from the ground, leaving cracks in the floor as Lucario shot an aura sphere towards him. The ball barely missed Charizard and flew towards Ash. He side-stepped and let the ball pass by him effectively demolishing the wall behind him.

"_It's stronger than it looks. I'll have to look out for that."_

"Charizard, use Wing Attack!"

"Counter with Power-up Punch!"

Charizard fell into a nosedive and gained momentum as his wings began glowing. He pulled up and shot towards Lucario. Lucario dashed towards Charizard and slid just as they were about to meet. He threw his fist and made direct contact with Charizard's stomach. The fire breathing lizard was knocked off course and fell to the ground. Dust had filled the arena at this point and nobody could see a thing. Korrina smiled when she saw Lucario standing in the center. She was about to let out a cheer of victory when a green tail shot out from the smoke and smashed into Lucario. He had no time to react and bounced across the floor only coming to a stop in front of his trainer.

"What?!"

"A little too early to be celebrating, don't you think? You shouldn't underestimate us." Ash called out.

Lucario shakenly stood up holding his stomach and looked towards the dust cloud. For the first time in its short life, it felt a hint of fear when he saw the dark form of Charizard standing there. His eyes opened in surprised as a column of flames broke the cloud's illusion. Lucario attempted to dodge, but the flames were still able to engulf its shoulder for a few seconds.

"T-This is something else." Serena said quietly. "I've never seen Korrina cornered so easily. Charizard is hardly even taking commands either."

"That just shows how well they know each other." Latias replied watching the battle carefully. "Ash and Charizard don't need complex orders to function as a team. It's like they're one entity."

Serena nodded slowly as she saw panic flash across Korrina's face, only to be replaced by resolve. Lucario was in a bad state and the only move that she had successfully landed was a Power-up Punch. She bit her nail as she knew what was about to happen. This was where the real battle began. The dust slowly faded and Korrina looked at Ash with a serious expression.

"Lucario, let's show him our true power."

"Carr!" it replied standing tall.

Korrina raised her left arm in front of her. A stone sat in the middle of her glove and let off a supernatural feel. Ash looked at it with interest and then glanced up to Latias. Latias noticed and nodded. She clicked a button on the device and pointed it towards Lucario. Korrina touched the key stone and raised it above her head.

"Lucario! Mega Evolve!"

Tendrils of energy immediately burst forth from the stone and Lucario. The gym was filled with a dark hue as the light from the tendrils overshadowed the lights in the gym. The tendrils connected together and Lucario was encased in a spherical like pod. It was whipping up tornado-like winds inside the gym. Serena had to do her best to prevent the camera from falling over and Latias was struggling with keeping her grip on the device. Suddenly, the sphere exploded. As soon as a piece touched the ground it shattered into nothingness. The blast cleared out any remaining dust clouds and left a small crater beneath it. Korrina smiled at it.

"This is what we're truly capable of."

As soon as she finished, something shot out of the crater and dashed towards Charizard at a blinding speed.

"Shield yourself!" Ash shouted, but it was too late. Ash watched in horror as _something _repeatedly hit Charizard from every angle.

"_Charizard can't take much more of this."_

Ash began brainstorming and something came to mind. He wasn't sure it would work, but it was worth a shot.

"Charizard! Use Flamethrower directly at your feet!"

The large lizard heard Ash and endured the invisible attacks as he let loose a torrent of flames tinged with white. Lucario flinched as the fire made contact with him. Ash wasted no time in admiring Lucario's new body and took advantage of the small window in front of him.

"Send him flying high with Dragon Tail!"

Charizard's tail glowed a greenish blue and smashed it into Lucario from below. Lucario was sent flying high into the air.

"Let's finish this! Charizard, use Flare Blitz!"

Charizard's body was engulfed in searing flames. He looked up and shot up towards Lucario, leaving the ground beneath him charred. Korrina wasn't about to give up though.

"Lucario! Use Aura Sphere!"

Lucario's eyes shot open and he turned himself in the air. He brought his hands to his side and a huge ball immediately formed. The ball slowly grew and pulsed as it gained power. Ash could feel it pulling at his own aura. This was the deciding move. Lucario let loose the aura sphere just as Charizard rammed into him. What resulted was an immense explosion with enough force to shatter some windows. Ash and Korrina coughed as debris and dust filled the air. They heard something crash into the ground, followed by another, heavier crash. The referee hit a button that opened some large vents in the roof and began filtering and began filtering out the smoke. It wasn't long before everyone could see the results. On the battle-worn field stood Charizard, who looked like he would collapse if you sneezed in his direction. Lucario, lay unconscious a few meters away from him. The referee announced Ash's victory as the two trainers ran onto the field. Ash returned Charizard to his pokéball and walked over towards Korrina who was tending to Lucario.

"Is he alright?" Ash asked kneeling beside her. "I didn't go too far, did I?"

Korrina shook her head and smiled as Lucario slowly opened his eyes and gave him what looked to be a thumbs up. He promptly closed his eyes again and his breathing became rhythmic. He had fallen asleep. Ash and Korrina both laughed at Lucario's actions. She returned him to his pokéball and stood up, dusting her hands off. She offered her hand to Ash.

"That was a great match. One of the best I've ever had. I'd like to battle you again someday."

Ash took her hand with a firm grasp and shook it.

"Same here. You had me scared with that Extreme Speed though. I couldn't even see Lucario!" he replied with a nervous chuckle.

Serena and Latias had made their way down onto the field and picked their way through the craters towards them.

"That was amazing!" Serena exclaimed. "I've never seen such an intense battle before! You were both stunning!"

The two trainers thanked her. Latias stepped forward and gave Ash a peck on the cheek.

"She's right, you two were rather amazing."

Korrina pouted.

"No fair, I don't have anybody to kiss me."

Ash chuckled and scratched the back of his head. Korrina shrugged her shoulders and headed towards the entrance. Ash and Latias followed her with Serena flanking the rear. The referee stood in the center of the field with a broom and sighed.

"I hate my job sometimes."


	21. Chapter 21

Ash stared at the contents of the vending machine while it quietly hummed. He shrugged and tapped one of the buttons at random. After several thuds, a can of orange juice appeared. He grabbed it from the retrieval bin and added it to the collection in his arm. He walked across the clean, white floor of the Pokémon Center to his friends who were all sitting around a table near a large window. As he handed the drinks out he glanced up to the television above them. They were given a bird's-eye view of a house crumbling as flames engulfed it. Water Pokémon were doing their best to put it out.

"Terrible, isn't it?" Korrina asked. "Reports of these kinds of things have become more and more common lately."

Latias and Serena looked up at the screen as well. Serena nodded with a frown.

"It's true. The first incident was a couple months ago. A house in Vaniville town was burnt down."

"Isn't that your hometown?" Ash asked curiously.

Serena nodded.

"So far no one has been hurt, but it's only a matter of time now."

Ash plopped down beside Latias, as Serena, and Korrina, began discussing possible motives behind the destruction. He swiveled his orange juice around in thought. What purpose was there to burning the homes down? Were the perpetrators stealing items and burning down the houses as to erase their footprints or were they simply hungry for destruction?

"_Or is it a distraction from a bigger plan."_

The thought flashed across his mind and he immediately thought of Lysandre. Was he behind the houses burning down? Is he distracting the public so he can sneak by with something larger? These thoughts and theories flooded Ash's mind one-by-one. He rubbed his head as he felt the telltale signs of a headache.

"Are you ok?" Latias whispered.

Ash was about to nod his head when he remembered his recent skydiving experience. He hesitated and finally shook his head.

"I'm getting another headache." He replied.

Latias frowned. If this was like his last one then she could expect him to fall over at any moment. Their minds were still bridged, but a little hazy at the same time. In fact, it felt as if they were about to disconnect.

"You should rest for now. I'm sure the other two will think you're tired from the battle."

Ash took one last look at the television and nodded in agreement. He set his can down on the table and laid down with his head on Latias' lap.

"_**This is not what I meant!"**_she exclaimed telepathically as a blush rose to her face.

Korrina glared at him and turned away muttering something about lovebirds and not having time to find a boyfriend. Serena laughed at her and that was as much as Ash remembered before he was drawn into a world of dreams. Memories of his old adventures flashed by. Some of them slowed down for him to reminisce. Eventually he found himself on a port. He waited for the scene to change, but it never did. The only sounds he could hear were the waves slapping against the dock. He turned around and found his body was void of any kind of fatigue. He examined his surroundings and confirmed the familiar sensation he had when he looked out onto the ocean. He was standing on the docks of Alto Mare, but something was off. Nobody was present other than himself. He stepped forward and the ground made waves as his foot made contact. He stared at it in wonder and took another step forward. He could see the waves, but they appeared to have no actual effect on him.

"_This isn't a memory. This is…"_

What was it? He brought his hand to his chin and began thinking. It did feel kind of similar to Latios' recreation of the Garden inside the Soul Dew, but that was about it. He shrugged slightly and pushed forward to explore some more. He wandered down the alleyways and side streets looking for a certain wall. It wasn't long before he found it. He slowly strode through it, hands in pocket. He smiled as he found himself in the garden. It did feel quite eerie with there being no noise. Almost immediately after thinking about it, a wind picked up and the trees began to sway. Ash looked around in surprise.

"_That was quite the coincidence."_

He walked across the garden and sat underneath the tree where he had first met Latias. He sat there for a while simply relaxing. It's been a couple of days since he'd been able to simply sit back and do nothing. After remembering how fun travelling with friends was, he forgot just how equally nice it was to just relax.

"_I could get used to this."_

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"_Wait, am I sleeping inside a dream? I'm pretty sure there's a movie based on that kind of thing. What was it called again? Wait, what was that?"_

Ash opened his eyes and quickly glanced around. He was positive he had heard something. He strained his ears and listened carefully. There it was again! It sounded like a voice calling out for someone, but there was no general direction. It sounded like it was coming from all around him. The voice steadily got closer and soon, the world around him began shaking. Ash held onto the tree for dear life and closed his eyes.

"_It was nice knowing you, Mr. Tree!" _

"_**ASH!"**_

Ash's eyes shot open and he yelped as he flung himself off the bed. Latias hovered over him and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. She smiled as she took his arm and peeled him off of the floor.

"_**I wasn't expecting that kind of reaction."**_She said as she brushed some dust off his shirt.

"Where are we?" he mumbled groggily.

"_**We're back in the Tower of Mastery. Nobody could wake you up so we had Charizard carry you back. You've been asleep for a few hours now."**_

"A few hours? It hardly felt like 10 minutes for me." Ash said stretching his arms.

Latias frowned slightly as Ash walked over to the desk and turned on the lamp.

"_**To be honest, I was kind of worried. I was afraid the headache had something to do with it."**_

Ash chuckled as he sorted through the books.

"It wasn't that major, but it might _have_ had something to do with it. I certainly experienced something new."

"_**Something new?"**_

Ash nodded and paused as he thought about how to describe it.

"It was… Can you imagine Alto Mare with no people and almost no noise? It was a surreal experience, that's for sure. It felt calm and a little eerie at the same time. Even the Garden was there."

"_**That sounds like a psychic dimension."**_

"A psychic what?"

"_**A psychic dimension. I never told you about it because it never seemed that important. It's a world created by a Psychic-type Pokémon for it to inhabit as its physical body sleeps."**_

Ash listened carefully and crunched the information.

"Are you sure it's a psychic dimension?" he asked, unsure of the information.

Latias nodded.

"_**Brother told me about it before you came to Alto Mare. He even told me he was working on making his own. Apparently it's a representation of the Garden with his own spin on it."**_

This confused Ash a bit. He had seen Latios' garden, but he figured that was simply a representation of it made by the Soul Dew. Maybe the Soul Dew was normally void of anything and simply allowed the host of it to create whatever scenery it desired. This would make more sense due to Latios' strong attachment to the Garden. If anything, he based the Garden in the Soul Dew off of the Garden from his psychic dimension. Ash shook his head before it became cluttered full of more theories and thoughts. He could just ask Latios the next time he met him.

"_**Serena wanted me to tell you that she won't be coming with us when we leave."**_ Latias said as she used her psychic powers to rearrange the books on the shelf.

"Why not? This book goes there."

"_**Mr. Gurkinn asked her to travel to a town called Couriway. Apparently some diggers from that company he mentioned found a Key Stone, but due to circumstances with the local Pokémon, it's difficult to send through mail. She's going to retrieve it for him."**_

"When does she leave?"

"_**She already has."**_

"She has?! But it's almost midnight!"

"_**She wanted to leave as soon as possible. Before she left, she gave me a couple of things to give to you. They're on the counter."**_

Ash walked over to the counter and looked at the two objects. One was a Town map that Ash instantly knew would be a saving grace and the other was a Holo Caster. He picked the device up and examined it. He found the power button and turned it on. As soon as he did, a holographic image of a mailbox popped up with the number one on it. He fiddled with the controls and eventually discovered the base mechanics of the device. He tapped on the mailbox icon and a holographic image of Serena popped up.

"If you're watching this, then I've probably already left for Couriway. I would have said good-bye in person, but you were sleeping like a Snorlax! Anyways, I'm leaving you and Latias with a Town map and this Holo Caster. You don't have to worry about returning it to me, that's an extra I received a while back as a gift. My number is saved in the contacts so if you ever want to talk, feel free to call. I guess this is it for now. Oh! Wait! One more thing! Latias told me you guys were going to Geosenge! It's not too far from Shalour, but be careful in Reflection cave. The Pokémon aren't too powerful, but the cave itself is like a natural mirror maze. Goodbye, and good luck! Let's meet up sometime later!"

The holographic Serena smiled and waved before disappearing. Ash tucked the Holo Caster away in his vest pocket and sighed.

"_**Miss her already?"**_Latias teased.

Ash chuckled and nodded.

"Just a little. It was nice seeing an old friend, but we all have our separate ways I suppose."

"_**I'm sure we'll see her again."**_ She replied before giving him a kiss on the cheek.

She returned to organizing books as Ash sat down at the desk and began the arduous task of researching once more. They continued their activities in silence, relishing each other's presence in the quiet room. Ash thought about how relaxing it had felt in the dream world and smiled as he compared it to his time with Latias.

"Doesn't even hold a candle to this." He muttered to himself with a light smile.


	22. Chapter 22

Everything was shaking. Ash jumped from platform to platform as each one crumbled beneath him. He finally reached a large pillar and stopped to survey his surroundings. With disbelief painted across his face, Ash watched as a huge landmass beneath him was swallowed in flames. The beautiful blue sphere he called Earth was being drowned in darkness as volcanoes spewed out toxic smoke and lava. Explosions were occurring everywhere from unknown sources. A gust of wind blew in from behind him and he turned around to find a room similar to the Hall of Legendaries; only it was in ruins. He snapped his head back to Earth, but it was no longer there. All he saw was a scorched wall.

"This is getting really, really weird now." He said aloud.

Turning back towards the destroyed hall, he noticed a fountain in the center. He approached it slowly and heard what seemed to be whispers all around him. The whisper slowly got louder the closer he came to the fountain. Just as he was about to snap, he came to the edge of the fountain and the whisper disappeared. Ash peered over the edge of the fountain and reeled back as black smoke shot up. He stared at the smoke in amazement as it floated in the air in front of him. Ash watched, unsure how to react, as the smoke took form of a trainer commanding a Gardevoir into battle. He could hear the trainer throwing out command after command as the Gardevoir gracefully executed the moves. Ash felt this was important, but didn't understand why. Just as he was about to get up, the ground beneath him broke apart and sent him hurling towards the ground. Everything blurred around him as his velocity increased. He looked around in panic and ran his hands across his body trying to find Charizard's pokéball. Nothing. His eyes opened in horror as the ground raced to welcome him.

"AHHH!"

Ash shot up and immediately regretted this decision as he slammed his forehead into Latias' own. The Eon let out a high pitched yelp as she floated away from him. He brought his hand to his head and rubbed it as tears welled up in the corner of his eyes. Blinking away the tears, Ash rubbed his eyes to clear his vision and slid off the bed. He steadied Latias who was almost spinning out of control trying to ease her pain. Ash embraced her and slowly rubbed her head in a gentle manner.

"_**You're a pain sometimes, you know?"**_

Ash chuckled nervously, but didn't respond.

"_**This is no laughing matter!" **_Latias exclaimed looking at him with panicked eyes. _**"You wouldn't wake up no matter what I did! I was afraid the earthquake would cause the tower to give in and you'd be crushed!"**_

"There was an Earthquake?!" Ash exclaimed in surprise as images of his latest dream flashed through his mind.

Latias nodded slowly as tears skid down her cheeks. Ash tightened his embrace to let her know he was still there. He looked around and surely enough, things were disastrous. The bookshelf had fallen over, throwing books everywhere, and he could see a liquid puddle created by a busted pipe, accompanied by a ton of broken glass in the kitchen. The young champion quietly comforted the Eon. Some time passed and footsteps were heard outside. Ash slowly pushed Latias away and motioned for her to transform. Almost as if on cue, Michael burst through the door with sweat dripping down his face. He sighed in relief when he saw Ash and Latias.

"Th-Thank Arceus, you two are alright! Master Gurkinn had the tower evacuated, but they must have missed your room. I came back after we noticed you weren't with the rest of us. Please, come with me and I'll show you to the courtyard where everyone's gathering."

Ash nodded and took Latias' hand in his own. She smiled and wiped away a tear as he led her towards the door. Michael held the door open for them and nervously glanced around. Ash and Latias stepped out onto the stairwell and gasped in unison. The once proud Lucario statue that towered over them had and arm destroyed alongside a portion of its head. Ash carefully peered over the edge and saw piles of stone. The air was cloudy with the residue of the debris and got worse the further they descended. Soon, they couldn't even see a foot in front of themselves. Michael moved slowly, feeling the wall beside him for guidance. It felt like hours as they traversed through the dust, tripping over bits of stone. The sound of rocks crunching underfoot was almost embedded in Ash's head. The entire group jumped when a high-pitched ringing came from Ash's vest. He quickly fumbled as he pulled out the Holo Caster. Ash squinted his eyes at the screen and made out a familiar name. He punched the "Answer" button and a static image of Serena popped up.

"Ash! Are y- gu- ok?"

"You're breaking up!" Ash replied. "I didn't understand what you asked!"

"Are yo- guys ok?" she asked again.

"Yeah, Ruby and I are alright! What about you?"

"I'm fine." She replied with a sigh of relief as her hologram danced around.

"Serena, I'll call you back later. The connection here is bad." Ash said trying his best to get a better signal.

"O-"

She was cut off as the call dropped. Ash sighed and placed it back in his pocket

"Well, you can return that call soon. We're here." Michael stated as he pushed open a wooden door.

It slowly scraped open and a pair of hands appeared on the frame assisting him.

"Come on! Move these rocks!"

"Help me with this one!"

Ash heard a flurry of voices and soon the door was wide enough for them to get through. They stepped out into a large courtyard that appeared to be on the backside of the tower. Michael thanked the people who helped him open the door as Ash took in his surroundings. The sun was just rising, casting an orange shadow across the rubble. It was a surreal experience for Ash. His attention was fixated on the tower.

"Ash." Latias said quietly squeezing his hand.

"Huh?"

She motioned her head towards a group of people inside a makeshift tent. Ash recognized Gurkinn amongst them. They were all grouped around a table and people were constantly flowing in and out of the tent. Ash nodded and they approached the tent. A few people apologized as they ran past them on their way out. Gurkinn looked up at them and sighed.

"Thank Arceus you two are alright. Do you have any injuries?"

Ash shook his head.

"Good, good. Wait a moment and I'll get you two up to speed." He said returning his attention to the table which Ash now saw had a blueprint of the entire Tower and its various other facilities.

"Joey, take a couple of students and check this area here."

"Alright! Casey, Aaron, let's go!"

A couple of students ran after him and they disappeared around the corner of a building.

Gurkinn continued dishing out commands to whomever was present in the tent. He would circle a new area on the blueprints every other once in a while after a team of students would return. Ash and Latias sat on the ground right outside the entrance and watched the flurry of activity around them.

"This is amazing." Latias said at one point.

Ash nodded in agreement. Everyone around them were working like this was a daily occurrence. Ash had to wonder if it had ever happened before. Gurkinn stepped outside the tent and greeted them.

"I'm sorry to make you wait. As you can see, we've got our hand full."

The two of them stood up.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Ash asked.

Gurkinn shook his head.

"For now, we're just getting a general idea of the damage. After that, we'll call in some heavy lifters and get the debris cleared out. It'll be a long process, but the foundation of the buildings all appear to be solid. That means we won't have to worry about any of them collapsing."

"What about the law enforcement?" Ash asked curiously.

"The citizens are their first concerns. Everybody here made it out with only minor injuries. Officer Jenny knows we can handle ourselves at the Tower. She'll probably come by later to assess the damage though."

"What about your research on the stone?" Latias asked.

"Oh, right." Gurkinn pulled the stone out of his pocket and held it up. "My study wasn't damaged, aside from the mess inside caused by the earthquake. The walls and roof of that room are built of tougher material than the rest of the tower. However, it'll be some time before I can put some time into it again."

Ash nodded.

"I understand. The tower and your students come first."

Gurkinn smiled sadly.

"I'm glad you do. Would you like to have the stone back for now?"

Ash shook his head.

"I'm going to leave it in your care. For now, I'm going to travel to Geosenge and continue my research there. I probably won't be coming back, so when you're done, mail it to this address." Ash replied handing the older man a slip of paper.

Gurkinn read the address on the paper and tucked it away alongside the stone.

"We'll leave as soon as we can." Ash continued. "We just need our belongings."

The guru nodded and left them alone with their thoughts.

"Are you sure?" Latias asked.

"I'm sure. Books can only teach me so much. I don't think I can truly understand Mega Evolution unless I experience it for myself, but for now I'll seek out trainers capable of performing it. Korrina was a good start."

"Then why are we going to Geosenge?"

Ash hesitated. He looked towards the tower and the rubble around it. Images of his dream flashed through his mind again. His meeting with Arceus and Latios rang loud and clear too. He had a vague feeling that this incident was more than a natural disaster. It was time he told her everything.

"Come with me. There's a lot to talk about."


	23. Chapter 23

The sun was setting. Ash sat on the beach and stared out towards the ocean. The setting sun gave the ocean a mysterious feeling to it causing various thoughts to run through the young champions mind. It was peaceful, unlike his last dream. He shuddered at the mere thought of it. He took his eyes off of the ocean and focused on Latias who stood further down the beach staring into the sky. She hadn't moved for a few hours now, but Ash didn't blame her. Suddenly springing all of that on her wasn't his best idea. She was fine with him being the Chosen One, but Latios is what really struck her. He sighed and chucked a rock into the ocean where it skipped a couple of times before sinking. A second rock followed his own confusing him. He turned and found Korrina standing above him.

"Yo." She said with a little salute.

Ash didn't respond and instead turned back towards the ocean. Korrina responded by giving him a nice, clean karate chop to the head.

"Ouch! What was that for?!"

"It's rude to ignore people you know?"

Ash rubbed his head with a frown. Korrina sat down beside him and stretched her arms. Now that Ash had a better view he noticed she was covered in dust and scrapes. He apologized to her and went back to chucking rocks into the ocean.

"So what are the two love birds doing apart?" she asked bluntly.

"It's nothing serious… I think."

"You think?"

Ash sighed and stood up. He began walking down the beach. Korrina jumped up and quickly matched him.

"It's something I can't really go into detail with you, but I told her some things that I've been keeping a secret from her. She took most of it well, but…"

He stopped and crouched down. A group of Dwebble scuttled around him. One stopped and stared at him for a few seconds before moving along.

"What are you going to do?"

Ash stayed silent. He wasn't sure. It was the first time in a while he didn't know what to do for her. He drew a triangle in the sand with a stick he had picked up.

"I don't know." He replied.

A voice in the distance started calling for Korrina. She turned to leave, but stopped midway and put her hand on Ash's shoulder.

"Just talk to her. I'm sure everything will be fine." She said with a bright smile before running off towards the Tower.

"Easy for you to say." he mumbled.

The young champion fell back onto his rear and began doodling in the sand some more with his new stick. He got lost in his pointless activity and didn't notice Latias had come up to him. She crouched down beside him and watched him doodle. She giggled at his lack of talent causing him to jump up in surprise.

"Latias?! You scared the living Arceus out of me!" he exclaimed clutching his chest.

"Sorry."

Ash collected himself and looked at her a little more closely. Her stature was calm, she wasn't tense at all. He couldn't sense any kind of sadness at all. She fidgeted a bit under his stare and blushed.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"That's what I should be asking. Aren't you angry at me? I mean, that whole thing with Latios and me being the Chosen One?"

"Angry!" Latias replied in shock. "No! Of course not! What made you think I was angry at you?!"

Ash scratched the back of his head.

"Well, I thought you were ignoring me when you were just standing over there. Figured you were angry at me."

Latias shook her head and smiled.

"I just needed some time to think. I never thought brother was still communicating with you. I wondered why he never spoke to me, or Bianca, or even Lorenzo. I thought about that a million times, again, and again, trying to think of a reason why he wouldn't, but I couldn't think of anything. At first, I was a little angry, but not at you. I was angry at him. After thinking about it so much, I've decided that he has his reasons for it. I can't be angry at him for something I don't understand."

A tear had formed at the corner of her eye and her voice began to crack. Ash smiled lightly and brought her into a hug. He rubbed her back as she began sobbing into his shoulder. After a few minutes, Latias pulled back a bit and wiped away her tears. She grabbed Ash's hand which was on her shoulder and gazed at the ground.

"Tell me, how is he doing? How is brother?"

"He's doing well. He recently began using his human form a bit more. Says it's a little more bearable in there."

Latias giggled and nodded her head.

"He never was comfortable in his human form. Always said he couldn't get used to the more rigid structure. I guess that's one thing I was better than him at." She said twirling around to show off her fluid control over her human form.

Ash chuckled as she continued to ramble on. Latias quickly went quiet as a ringing came from his vest. The young champion took the Holo Caster out and immediately went pale when he saw the name. Serena. He looked up to Latias with a face as white as a ghost.

"I forgot to call her back." He whispered, afraid Serena would hear him somehow.

He gave the Holo Caster to Latias who pushed it back to him. They continued this little game until one of them accidently hit the "Answer" button.

"ASH KETCHUM AND LATIAS! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING NOT CALLING ME BACK! I THOUGHT YOU TWO DIED OR SOMETHING!"

Ash and Latias cowered before the little device and bowed to it, asking for forgiveness. Serena let out a deep breath and shook her head.

"Honestly, you two had me worried sick. You told me you were going to call back soon. Did you get lost in a labyrinth or something?

"Not quite…" Ash replied quietly. "I kinda forgot in all the action that was going on at the time."

"It's not just his fault. I forgot as well." Latias added.

"Alright, well, as long as you two are alright I can forgive you. So, tell me, what did the earthquake do over there?"

Ash and Latias glanced at each other.

"See for yourself." Ash said picking the device up and pointing it towards the Tower.

Serena gasped at the sight. Floodlights were set up and pouring light onto the crumbled walls of the Tower.

"Is everyone alright? No one got hurt did they?"

"Everyone got out alright. I'm not sure about the townspeople though." Ash replied looking towards Shalour.

"What about Master Gurkinn? How's he doing?"

"He's doing just fine. In fact, I think he's trying to get us access to the Tower right now."

Serena nodded.

"Let's move onto another subject. I heard recently that Diantha, the champion here in Kalos, is going to be visiting Geosenge for a celebration. You should find her and challenge her."

Ash frowned.

"Why would I do that? I mean, I enjoyed my battle against Korrina, but I don't really have anything to prove to Diantha."

"Because her Gardevoir can mega evolve. That's why."

Ash nodded. That certainly was something he would be interested in.

"So what's this celebration about?"

Serena laughed at sudden change in mood.

"It's the Annual Remembrance festival. People flock to Geosenge to pay respects to the Pokémon whose lives were taken by King AZ to power the Ultimate Weapon. Considering the premise, I suggest finding Diantha first and asking her to a battle some time later. It'd be kind of rude to battle _during_ the festival."

Ash nodded.

"When does this festival take place?"

"A week from now. The festival will run throughout the weekend, but don't bet on Diantha being there for the whole thing. She's busy as it is so she'll probably be out of town before the festival is even in full swing."

"Thanks for the info. We'll catch you later."

Serena waved as the call was ended.

"Well, that wasn't too bad." Latias stated.

"Yeah, it could have been a lot worse."

Ash tucked the Holo Caster back into his vest pocket. Latias grabbed his hand as they silently walked back towards the tower where they could barely hear people shouting to each other. Ash saw Charizard carrying rubble from the wall to a pile alongside Korrina's Lucario. Despite the battle they had, the two seemed to get along quite well. They walked past the two Pokémon and headed towards the tent where Korrina was discussing something with a police officer. The two exited the tent just as Ash and Latias reached it. They ducked in and found Gurkinn staring at the schematics and relaying orders over a walkie talkie. He looked up and gave them a tired smiled.

"Good news. We've been cleared to access the main Tower. You two can leave early tomorrow morning."


	24. Chapter 24

Ash vaulted himself over the ledge and wiped away from sweat from his brow. Latias trekked on ahead of him flying loops here and there, enjoying her time in her normal form. Ash smiled and pushed forward. It had been a few hours since they had left Shalour and the sun was high in the sky throwing down blistering heat. The trees around him gave him little shelter from the heat. Latias, being a Pokémon, had ways of regulating her temperature so the heat hardly bothered her. Ash paused and looked back the way they had come. The Tower of Mastery was still visible despite how long they had been walking. From this distance, nothing appeared wrong with it.

"_**Something wrong?"**_

Ash glanced to his side and found Latias. He shook his head turned back towards their goal; Reflection Cave.

"Did you see anything while you were ahead of me?"

"_**I saw the cave entrance. It's still a couple of miles away though."**_

Ash sighed and pulled out a canteen. He took a quick drink from it and offered it to Latias who accepted.

"We'll take a break once we reach the entrance." He said as he put the canteen away.

"_**How long do you think it will be until we reach Geosenge?" **_

Ash shrugged.

"Serena said it was right outside of Reflection Cave, so it depends on how long it takes us to get through the cave."

Suddenly the ground around them started rumbling.

"Another earthquake?!" Ash yelled looking around.

"_**Ash! Look up there!"**_

Ash focused his attention on the mountain in front of them. He saw something moving and squinted his eyes.

"Is that a… Steelix?"

"_**And somebody's riding it! It looks like they're in a hurry!"**_

Ash unclipped Charizard's pokéball and let him out. He swung himself on Charizard's back. Latias quickly transformed and hopped on as well.

"Charizard! Get close to that Steelix!"

Charizard let out a roar and jumped from the ground. They soared towards the Steelix at breakneck speed. It wasn't long before they were flying beside it. Ash pointed out the person riding it to Charizard and flew a little closer. The man looked at them with a confused expression.

"Who are you!" he yelled over to them.

"My name is Ash Ketchum! Is something wrong?!"

"The Pokémon!"

"What?!"

The man frowned and got his Steelix a little closer to Charizard.

"The Pokémon here have been acting odd lately! I'm trying to figure out why! I got this Steelix to help me out. We just had a close encounter with some rampaging Pokémon at the top of the mountain!"

Ash saw an object at the man's hip that he hadn't seen in a long time.

"You're a Ranger?!"

The man nodded.

"What are you doing all the way out here from the Fiore region?!"

"Maybe we should save the small talk for when we're _not _traveling down a mountain at dangerous speeds!"

Ash blinked a couple of times and looked ahead noticing everything was a blur and Latias had her arms tightly wrapped around his waist trying with all her might to not fall off.

"Oh, right. Charizard, take us down to the ground!"

Charizard let loose some flames in response and took them down to the base of the mountain. Ash climbed off and helped Latias down whose legs were shaking. Ash chuckled as she held onto his shoulder for support.

"Kind of an odd reaction for someone who can fly."

"Flying myself is one thing. Riding is a whole other thing." Latias replied.

Ash began laughing just as the Ranger arrived. He vaulted of the Steelix's back and pat its side before releasing it. He walked over and shook Ash's hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Ash. The name is Johnnie. Rank 5 Ranger from Ringtown."

Ash nodded and reintroduced himself along with Latias, under the guise of Ruby, and Charizard.

"Back to my question, what are you doing all the way out here? I thought Rangers only came to other regions in extreme cases?"

"And that's what this is." Johnnie replied with a frown.

He turned towards the mountain and began explaining.

"Pokémon have acting odd lately. We didn't notice it until a couple weeks ago. Pokémon who are normally peaceful have been pushing into other Pokémon's territory and taking it for themselves. We thought it would pass, but the Pokémon have been getting more and more aggressive. I was given permission by our leader to investigate other regions to see if this phenomenon is occurring elsewhere. Sadly, it is. I've been getting numerous reports from other Rangers around the globe that Pokémon in their sectors have started showing strange behavioral patterns."

"What have you found so far?" Latias asked.

"Quite a bit, but the cases I've found have all been pocketed away from civilization. No one is in danger yet, but I'm still not sure what's causing the Pokémon to act so strangely. It's almost like the very balance of nature is being challenged."

"And you said you had an encounter just at the top of this mountain?" Ash asked.

Johnnie nodded and turned back to them.

"Again, no one is in danger just yet. This mountain is rather stable so there shouldn't be any worry of those Pokémon causing some sort of rock slide or anything. Do keep an eye out though. I have no idea when it will get worse."

They all looked up as a large crash sounded from above them.

"I see what you mean." Ash replied.

Johnnie chuckled at his statement.

"I should probably get going. I spent quite a while up there and I still have to report this all to HQ. See you around!" he said before running off towards Shalour.

Ash and Latias waved as he left. When they could no longer see him, Latias turned to Ash and tugged on his vest.

"Ash, do you think this has something to do with Lysandre?" she asked with a worried expression.

Ash stood there silently. He did think it had something to do with Lysandre, but what could Lysandre possibly do that could mess with Pokémon across the world? The last time something like this had happened was back in the Orange Islands when he first met Lugia. He shook his head, not wanting to think about it.

"You don't think it has something to do with Lysandre?" Latias asked with a confused expression.

"Well, I do, I was just… Ah, never mind. For now, let's worry about getting to Geosenge." he replied.

Ash grabbed her hand and headed for the entrance to Reflection Cave. As soon as they stepped through the entrance, they stopped in shock and looked around. Crystals protruded out of the ground and mirror like walls surrounded them. The crystals gave off a bluish glow to the cave giving it an even more unique feel.

"This place is beautiful." Latias said under her breath.

Ash nodded in agreement and put his hand on the wall. The crystal-like mirror felt smooth to the touch. Ash frowned when he saw his reflection. This time it didn't catch him off guard. He simply stared at his reflection that had piercing red eyes. He closed his eyes and thought about why this was happening, but nothing came to mind. When he opened them again, his eyes were back to their normal brown.

"Something wrong?" Latias asked.

"No, nothing. Let's see if we can find our way through." He said smiling at her.

The two of them slowly made their way through the cave. Minutes became hours as they trekked through the beautiful cave. They encountered many Pokémon Ash had never seen before. By the time they found the exit, the sun had gone down and the moon dominated the sky, shining its beautiful, dim light on the world. Buildings could be seen close-by, but Ash was more interested in something else.

"Where in Arceus' name is the Ultimate Weapon?"

They made their way into the town. Ash ran towards the center of the town where a metal fence encompassed a huge, gaping hole. He looked down and saw what seemed to be an old lab at the bottom. He looked around and saw a sign near the fence. He went over and began to read it. When he finished, he sighed and looked back down into the hole.

"What's wrong?" Latias asked.

"The Ultimate Weapon disappeared after being used by Lysandre. All that's left is the remains of the lab he used." He replied.

They stood there in silence. Ash contemplated going down into the hole, but he highly doubted anything down there was still operable. They headed for the Pokémon center where Ash booked a room for the week. As soon as they entered their room, Ash collapsed onto the bed and simply lay there. Latias laid down beside him without a word. Ash was unsure of what to do. The one clue he had regarding Lysandre ended up being a bust. If he had known the Ultimate Weapon was no longer present, he never would have come here. At the very least, he could investigate some more while they waited for the festival.

"You smell." Latias said quietly.

Ash laughed at her sudden remark and turned towards her.

"What?" she asked, confused by his reaction

He shook his head and kissed her before sitting up.

"I'll take a shower. Then…"

"Then, what?"

"I don't know, play a game or something I guess. We'll be spending some time here. Might as well relax a bit."

"I like that idea." Latias said, smiling warmly.


	25. Chapter 25

In the corner of the main lobby of the Pokémon Center, Ash sat quietly, staring at the screen of the public computer. He had his head propped up against his hand as he slowly read the text on the screen. His hand was starting to cramp having been in the same position for so long, but he had gotten used to it now. Looking back, this is how he spent the first few days in Geosenge. He would wake up, get dressed, head down to the lobby, greet Nurse Joy, and proceed to the computer. After a couple of hours, Latias would always make herself present in the lobby to check in on him and bring him a drink. The young champion felt a little guilty, secluding himself from his wife in pursuit of information, but using the web was certainly a good choice. Having been a rather famous and influential man before showing his true colors, the web was full of information regarding him. Ash discovered he had run a small café in Lumiose city and had indeed invented the Holocaster. He leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms back as he finished a paragraph and swiveled around. There had been a steady stream of people coming into the Pokémon center mostly looking for a room to stay in. The festival was only a few days away. He noticed Latias turn the corner into the lobby and waved to her with a smile. She walked over and sat beside across from him on a light green couch that hugged the wall.

"Found anything yet?" she asked curiously.

"I've found quite a bit. Not a lot that can help us, but it's certainly giving me some insight. I'd say our best shot of finding anything is trying to find his old research labs. I mean, there's got to be more than just that one." He said referring to the lab that had been underneath the ultimate weapon.

"Well, do you have any idea where one could be?"

"Actually, I do. I'm not entirely sure, but he ran a small café in Lumiose city. If there is a lab there, it might not be publically known, but we know some people who might be able to tell us."

"Serena?"

Ash nodded.

"I called her earlier, but she didn't pick up so I left a voicemail. Until then, I suppose we just have to wait for the festival."

"Are you looking forward to battling Diantha?"

Ash swiveled back to the computer making an audible sound of uncertainty. He shut it down and shifted himself over to the couch.

"I'm not sure I am. It was fun battling Korrina, but she's a gym leader. Diantha is the champion and to be completely honest, I probably wouldn't win against Lance with how rusty I am right now. I have a feeling that I can't win this one."

Latias smiled and put her hand on his leg in a reassuring manner.

"You can't win them all, Ash."

He chuckled and nodded.

"And you know why that's funny?" he asked.

Latias thought about it for a moment, but finally shook her head.

"It completely destroys the idea of being the best there ever was. No matter how much you try, someone will always come along and beat you. There's no definite solution to the problem and no one can truly claim the title for themselves. That's more or less why I settled with obtaining the title of Champion."

"I never thought about it like that." Latias replied. "Have you ever thought about getting back out there?"

"I'd be lying if I said no. Some of the best moments of my life came from that journey. I met so many friends and even the love of my life." He said poking her in the side. "Even now I wonder where they're all at right now."

"Ever thought about visiting them? I'm sure they'd appreciate it and I'd love to meet all of the friends you made."

"I'm sure you would, but a lot of them are on their own journeys. We'd have to track them down first before we could meet them. I can definitely introduce you to the ones who are in one place most of the time. The Frontier Brains would be a nice start. I'm sure you'd get along nicely with Anabel."

"Anabel?"

"She's the Salon Maiden, and one of the toughest opponents I've ever faced. It's quite difficult to counter a move when you can't hear her shouting the commands."

"She can use telepathy?"

Ash nodded.

"It's not exactly telepathy alone. It's more of a heightened empathy link. She can sense emotions and communicate with Pokémon."

"That's… kind of difficult to believe."

"You're talking to a guy who had a board meeting with the almighty Creator."

"You have a point there."

Ash felt a vibration in his vest pocket. He slipped the Holocaster out and saw a message icon. He opened it and quickly read its contents. Latias leaned against his shoulder and read it as well.

"Looks like you were right." She stated. "There is a lab at Lysandre's café. And she even gave us instructions to get in. Does this mean we're going back to Lumiose city?"

Ash nodded as he tucked away the Holocaster.

"After we finish up here, we'll head to the lab and see if we can find anything."

"What sort of things are you looking for?"

Ash shrugged.

"Anything that can point us in the right direction or at least tell us what he might be planning. For now, all I know is that he's a threat to the world and I have a feeling he plans on doing something soon. We have to find him, and stop him, before that happens." He replied, recalling the destruction of the landmass from his dream.

They sat in silence for a while. The traffic in the lobby had slowed down considerably. News that they were out of rooms must have spread amongst the visitors. The lobby itself had become silent as if it was morphing to suit their wants. Ash glanced outside the window and saw the sun hanging low in the sky, signaling the day was coming to a close soon. Staring at the lowering sun, he wanted to feel homesick. He wanted to, but he had traveled for so long that home was just another pit stop along the way. Even now, as a married man, life somehow found a way to make him leave home. Standing up, he stretched his arms again, this time accompanied by a yawn.

"Tired?"

Ash nodded.

"I'm going to hit the hay early today." He replied leaning down and giving her a quick kiss. "See you in the morning."

"Good night."


	26. Chapter 26

"There's quite a lot of people here." Latias stated pushing her way through the crowd of people.

"It is a festival after all." Ash replied. "It's not much different than the Tour de Alto Mare."

"The Tour de Alto Mare is a _race_, not a festival."

"But it is meant to celebrate you and Latios is it not?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"Then it's a festival. Of sorts."

Latias puffed her cheeks and glared at him. Ash shrugged his shoulders and led them outside of the crowd. Everyone was slowly making their way out of town towards route 10 where they were going to be paying their respects to the Pokémon who died during the war 3,000 years ago. In the front was Diantha, whom Ash had only seen for a few seconds before he was swallowed up by the crowd again. He sighed and gave up on trying to get to her at the moment. He looked up towards the night sky with a disgruntled expression.

"Don't worry, we'll get to her."

"Oh, and how do you know that?" he asked playfully.

"I just do."

Ash looked at Latias with a slightly surprised look. Her response had been serious and assertive. There wasn't the normal joking undertone to it. He considered their situation and decided against pursuing it. Ash bumped into the person in front of him and apologized. The crowd seemed to have grown quiet as they all came to a halt. Ash watched as Diantha slowly raised something that looked like a lampshade up into the air. She held this position for a few minutes before bringing it back down. She held it out and a man came up with a lighter.

"_**It's a sky lantern."**_

Ash looked at Latias with a confused look.

"_**Sky lanterns are common during festivals in Alto Mare. They're supposed to represent luck and the idea of letting your worries float away. Normally, everyone attending would release one, but things may be different here."**_

"_Maybe they took the tradition and made it something more akin to an act of respect."_

Latias nodded as Diantha let the lantern go. It slowly floated up into the sky. A quiet hum came from her and the crowd joined in. Ash and Latias listened closely. The tune awakened a sense of sadness in them. It was as if the aftermath of the war had been put into song. The humming continued until the lantern was out of sight. Everything died down for a few seconds and rose again. People were now conversing as if nothing had happened and many of them began making their way back to town. Ash and Latias stayed back with a smaller group of people who also dispersed to the various stones along the route. Diantha could be seen talking with some of them as she walked around paying her respects. Latias gave Ash a nudge and they walked over to her. She saw them coming and smiled.

"Hello! How may I help you?"

Ash extended his hand.

"My name is Ash Ketchum. I was wondering if I could have a bit of your time."

She took his hand and shook it.

"It's very nice to meet you. I was wondering when you were going to come meet me."

"You were?"

She nodded.

"It isn't exactly common for the champion of another region to come visit, even if it is for business."

Ash sweat dropped.

"Then you knew who I was before I even introduced myself?"

Diantha nodded again with a bright smile.

"This is your wife, correct? Latias, I believe her name is."

Ash and Latias both reeled in shock. Ash's mouth was agape and Latias was looking around making sure nobody heard.

"H-How do you know that?!" Ash hissed as his eyes darted around.

Diantha giggled and signed for them to calm down.

"It's quite alright. Your secret is safe with me. As to how I know, well, I have contacts in many places and I wished to know as much about you as possible before meeting you. So, tell me, what brings you here?"

Ash glared at her.

"You mean you don't already know?"

"I have a rough idea, but details elude me."

Ash looked at Latias who shrugged.

"_**Can't get much worse, can it?"**_

Ash agreed, though he didn't make it obvious. He scratched his head in thought and came to a decision.

"I'll tell you, but let's take it somewhere more private. It isn't something I want others to hear, but you might actually benefit from it."

"_**You're going to tell her about Lysandre?"**_

"_She is the Champion of Kalos. If anybody deserves to know, it's her."_

"Deal. Where shall we go?"

"We have a room back at the Pokémon Center where we can talk. That is, if you're fine with that."

Diantha nodded.

"Just lead the way."

Diantha paced the room in a worried manner. She came to a halt and looked to Ash.

"And you're positive this is all true?"

Ash nodded. Diantha sat down in a chair and put her head in her hands.

"I can't believe that man is still alive. We all thought the explosion had killed him. This explains why his body was never found though."

"We were wondering since you were the Champion if you might know anything." Latias stated.

Diantha looked at them both with a sad frown.

"I'm afraid I know nothing. Back then, 3 years ago, I was worthless in the fight against Lysandre. The heroes, the only ones who actually fought against him were Calem and his friends. Even I was tricked by Team Flare. One of the Elite 4, one of my own subordinates, was a high ranking member of the group. After this came to light, she fled Kalos and has never been seen since. I wish I could help you, but I'm afraid I know nothing."

Latias lowered her head, depressed at this news. Ash sat back against the wall with his legs crossed.

"Well, I can't say I'm too surprised. You probably weren't aware of the threat Lysandre posed until it was too late."

Diantha nodded.

"If I discover anything, I'll inform you as quickly as possible." Diantha said standing up. "If all of what you said is true, then Kalos needs a hero, again. I don't know what I can do to help, but I'll try."

"Thank you." Ash replied with a smile. "There is one more thing I'd like to ask though."

"What is it?"

Ash slid off the bed, stood up straight and pointed at her.

"I want a battle!"

"We're talking about the possible destruction of Kalos and you're asking me for a battle?"

Ash thought about this for a few seconds and shrugged.

"Pretty much, yeah."

Diantha sighed.

"Fine, I'll battle you, but on one condition."

"Shoot."

"You have to save Kalos first."

"Reload."

Diantha glared at him.

"Fine." He mumbled.

Diantha looked up at the clock on the wall.

"I'm afraid I must be going now. I've spent far too much time here."

"I'll see you to the entrance." Ash replied.

Ash and Diantha left the room and quietly made their way downstairs. They stopped at the entrance and Diantha turned to him with a hint of fear in her eyes.

"How long do you think we have until Lysandre strikes?"

Ash was silent. He honestly didn't know, but something in the back of his mind moved him to answer. Without thinking, he replied.

"He's already started moving."

Diantha looked a little surprised, but quickly composed herself. She left with a quick farewell, leaving Ash alone in the quiet lobby. He returned to his room where Latias was staring out the window.

"Sad?"

She nodded and went over to the bed. She curled up and closed her eyes.

"_**I was hoping she might have known something. I want this all over as soon as possible. I don't like thinking about you fighting Lysandre. It means you'll be in danger."**_

Ash sat down on the bed and rubbed her head.

"Risks go hand-in-hand with life. The more ambitious the goal, the more risks you have to take and sometimes those risks will be dangerous."

"_**Yeah, well, I wish your ambitions didn't entail the possibility of the world ending."**_

"You and I both."


	27. Chapter 27

Latias stared out the window, mindlessly toying with the ring on her finger. Ash had woken her up early that morning with a new goal in mind. They were going to be heading to Lumiose City on Charizard to minimize travel time. Latias shifted her focus a bit when she heard the bathroom door open. Ash exited and tossed the towel he used to dry his hair into a laundry bin. He tousled his hair a bit and slipped his hat on.

"Ready?"

Latias nodded and stood up. Ash grabbed his bag and they headed out. They were just about to take off on Charizard when a familiar voice called out. Diantha ran up to the side of Charizard and wiped away a bit of sweat.

"Diantha? What are you doing here? I thought you left last night?"

"I did, but I remembered something that could help you." She replied pausing in between breaths.

Ash and Latias exchanged curious glances. Diantha reached into her bag and pulled out a slip of paper.

"There's a man in Lumiose who may be able to help you more than I. He calls himself Looker, and -"

"Wait! As in the International Police officer, Looker?" Ash asked.

Diantha blinked a few times and nodded.

"Are you acquainted with him?"

"Yeah, I met him a few times in my travels. Helped me out with Team Galactic a couple of times. I didn't know he was here in Kalos."

"Yes, he is. We met under, strange circumstances, but I hear he's quite knowledgeable about Lysandre despite his being a foreigner. This is his address. He's taken up residence in an apartment space in Lumiose."

"Lumiose? We were just headed that way as well. I suppose the fates haven't completely abandoned us." Ash remarked as he pocketed the piece of paper.

"Is there anything we can do for you in return?" Latias asked. "You've done nothing but help us so far."

Diantha shook her head.

"Kalos is in danger as we speak. Lysandre could strike at any time. Now is not the time to demand repayment for such trivial matters."

Ash nodded.

"Thank you for your help. Alright, Charizard, Lumiose City is our destination."

The large lizard roared and began flapping his wings. Diantha waved to them as they flew further and further away. It wasn't long before Charizard leveled out. Ash relaxed his grip a bit and relished the moment. When he was soaring in the air like this, he could almost feel his worries leave him. He felt Latias tap his shoulder, pulling him out of the moment.

"Who is this, Looker?"

"That's right. I never did tell you about him, did I? Well, I don't know him too well, but like I said before, we've met a few times. He works as a field agent for the International Police, kind of like a detective. He's hard to forget so I recognized the name immediately. I'm just surprised he's here in Kalos."

"Do you suppose he's looking into Lysandre? Maybe the International Police know about him being alive and they sent Looker to investigate."

Ash thought about this for a moment and shook his head.

"I don't think that's the case. Diantha made it sound like Looker has been around for a while now. Why would Looker spend so much time investigating without taking action?"

Suddenly Ash's face froze. His mouth hung open like he was in the middle of saying something.

"What's wrong? You're not having another headache are you!?"

Ash turned around like a robot.

"Knowing our luck, Looker probably isn't here anymore. He never spends too long in one region from what I know."

Latias raised her hand as if to object, but realized he was right and said nothing. They sat there in an odd silence.

"S-Should we still drop by? Maybe he is there."

Ash sighed and nodded his head.

"Yeah, we'll stop by and check. If he is, maybe he can help us look around that lab."

Latias smiled just as something wet landed on her face. She dabbed at her face and looked up. The sky was clear of any kind of bad weather, but something felt off. She only then realized the temperature felt like it had dropped quite a bit. She focused her vision a bit and saw something incredible.

"A-Ash."

"Yeah?"

"Why is it snowing?"

"Snowing? That's not possible, we're in the middle of spr-"

His remark was thrown to the side when he noticed the white flakes falling from the sky.

"How?! There's not even a cloud in the sky! How is it snowing?!"

"Ash."

He rotated his body to face Latias. She had a worried expression on her face.

"Something doesn't feel right."

"I can kind of see that."

Latias shook her head.

"No, I mean something is _wrong._ I think I'm beginning to understand what that Ranger told us back then. Something about the balance of nature."

"Do you feel ill?"

Latias shook her head again, this time a little more firmly.

"It's just a bad feeling I'm getting in my gut. I don' think it affects me or Charizard like it is the wild Pokémon. If anything, it just gives us a feeling of unease."

Suddenly, the wind began picking up and the snowfall became heavier. The perk to flying is that it turned day long trips into minutes. He could see the lights of the city on the horizon. He signaled Charizard to fly a little lower, due to the heavy snow. Even with the warmth of Charizard, Ash and Latias began shivering at they neared Lumiose. By the time they found themselves in the city, the wind had picked up into a blizzard-like condition. Charizard landed in an alleyway where they were at least safe from the harsh wind. Ash returned Charizard to his Pokéball and peeked out only to get a face full of snow. Latias giggled at him as he shook it off.

"Doesn't look like we'll be going anywhere like this." He stated, leaning against the brick wall.

"Maybe I can help." Latias replied.

She looked around and transformed into an Eon. She floated in one place and her eyes began glowing blue. The telltale sign of psychic energy being used. Ash's head began ringing after a bit and he could feel a migraine coming on. Just as it was about to peak, it disappeared.

"_**There's shelter directly to out left outside this alley. It's not even 20 feet away. Ash, are you alright?"**_

Latias flew over to him and examined him. He nodded and balanced himself.

"Migraine, but it disappeared as soon as it came. Let's get inside before this gets any worse."

"_**Is that even possible?"**_

As if the question were jinxed, lighting pounded in the sky directly above them making Latias cry out in fear. Ash patted her head and coaxed her into transforming again. When she did, they made a break for the light that was barely visible. They burst in through a door and slammed it shut, panting as they caught their breath.

"That was a lot worse than I thought it would be." Ash panted.

Latias simply nodded. She was the first one to remove herself from the door and instantly froze.

"Umm, Ash."

"Huh? What is- Jesus Christ, it's a Power Ranger!" he screamed diving behind the nearest cover he could find.

In front of them stood a woman in a black suit. The suit seemed barren of gadgets, but this didn't stop it from being a somewhat intimidating sight. The large E displayed across the screen seemed emotionless as it stared at Latias. Behind the suspicious figure was a Pokémon Latias had never seen before. It looked up at her with wide, curious eyes and Latias couldn't help but let a little squeak out.

"It's. So. CUUUUTE!" she said excitedly.

"Her name is Mimi." Stated a feminine voice.

Latias returned her attention to the mysterious figure.

"Mimi?"

The woman nodded and brought her hands up to her helmet. The large E disappeared as she removed the helmet. Underneath the helmet was a girl who seemed almost exotic in appearance. Her skin was a darker tone and her dark hair cascaded out like an untamed beast. She smiled at Latias with a bright smile. She shifted her attention to the chair Ash had taken cover and pointed to him.

"Is he always like that?"

Latias sighed and shook her head.

"Ash, you can come out. I don't know who Jesus Christ is or what a Power Ranger is, but she's neither of those."

Ash peeked over the chair and looked at the girl with a suspicious glare. After a few seconds he nodded and jumped up, returning to his normal attitude as if nothing had happened. The girl put down her helmet and leaned back against a large wooden desk.

"So, what can I do for you today here at Looker Bureau? At least, that's what I'd like to say, but my suit can't stand conditions like this for long." She said referring to the blizzard.

"Aren't you the least bit shocked about there being a blizzard in the middle of spring?" Ash asked.

"Of course I am, heck, everyone in Kalos is freaking out right now." She said picking up a remote.

She clicked a button turning on a TV hanging on the wall. Just about every channel was a newscaster in different areas throughout Kalos reporting on the freak blizzard that seemed to have come out of nowhere. She turned it off and turned back to them, extending a hand.

"I'm Emma, and my friend down here is Mimi."

Latias and Ash each shook her hand and introduced themselves.

"You said this was the Looker Bureau, correct?" Ash asked looking around.

"Yes."

"Then where's Looker? I was hoping I could find him here."

Emma's eyes went wide and she jumped forward grabbing his shoulders.

"You know Mr. Looker! Do you know where he's at? He hasn't responded to any of my letters for a few months now!"

"Woah! Calm down, Emma! If I knew where he was, do you think I'd be asking you?"

Emma loosened her grip on his shoulders and backed up. She appeared crestfallen as she rubbed one of her arms and looked at the floor with sad eyes.

"Right. Of course. I-I shouldn't have expected you to know. My emotions got the best of me."

"Is Looker not here then?" Latias asked.

Emma shook her head slowly and wiped away a tear that had been forming in her eye.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't let you see me like this. Looker, he left 3 years ago."

Ash groaned and fell back into a chair.

"Damn it all." He muttered.

"Ash!"

Emma looked at them with a confused expression.

"Do you know Looker personally?"

"Sort of. I bumped into him a few times on my travels. I was hoping he could help us out with something."

Emma shook her head.

"I'm afraid he's not here. He used to visit, but something happened. Like I said before, he's not responding to my letters anymore and he hasn't visited for a long time now. I-I'm afraid something terrible happened to him."

Ash leaned forward.

"How do you know Looker?"

"He took me in when I was living on the streets. He cared for us, Mimi and I. I was happy. At some point, I wanted to help out and so I became a test subject for a man named Xerosic. He paid me to just wear this suit and sleep. I thought it was great, until I was awoken from a stupor by Looker and realized I had been stealing people's Pokémon. I wanted to stop, but I couldn't control myself. Looker recruited the help of a boy named Calem to help. Calem defeated all of the Pokémon Xerosic had and overrided the suit's operating system. It was... complicated after that. Xerosic truly cared for me and wanted nothing but the best for me, but what he did was criminal and so Looker went back to International Police HQ with Xerosic to hold a trial."

Emma took a moment to pause as Mimi came over with a tea tray floating above her head.

"Thank you, Mimi. Would either of you like some tea?"

They both accepted a cup. Anything warm was appreciated at this point.

"Xerosic sent me a letter after he was sentenced and told me how to reboot the suit and set it to manual mode. Of course, Looker came back to supervise me for a bit before leaving again for his job. He made me the head of the Bureau and now Mimi and I spend our days doing whatever we can for the people. It gets lonely sometimes, but I can at least write to Xerosic."

There was a silence as they all quietly drank their tea.

"Um, do you have any idea as to what happened to Mr. Looker?" Latias asked carefully.

Emma shook her head.

"The last I heard was that he was somewhere near the Hoenn region. Other than that, it's a complete mystery to me. I can only speculate."

Ash began thinking and suddenly something clicked.

"May I ask something a little personal?" Ash asked.

"Go ahead."

"Was Xerosic, by any chance, a former member of Team Flare?"

Emma nodded.

"He was developing this suit when Lysandre was defeated in Geosenge. Its original purpose was to improve the average grunt's effectiveness in battle, but now I use it to help solve cases."

"Where did he develop this suit?"

"In the labs underneath Lysandre's Café, why?"

Ash bolted up almost knocking over his tea.

"We need to get into those labs!"


	28. Chapter 28

"The lab?"

Ash nodded.

"The lab that Xerosic developed that suit is connected to something incredibly important and there may be information that could help us out."

"Is this about Lysandre?"

Ash hesitated.

"Sort of, yeah."

Emma stared at him with curious eyes. Ash averted his eyes from her own, unsure of where to look. After a while, Emma stood up and walked over to a bookshelf. She ran her fingers over the spines of the books until she heard a clicking noise. Twisting her body slightly, she motioned for Ash and Latias to come over to her.

"It's obvious that you're hiding something from me, but it's really none of my business to pry. Anyways, Mr. Looker taught me that everyone has their secrets and it's rude to ask if somebody doesn't wish to talk about it. I'm going to trust you. You came here in search of Mr. Looker, so I can assume you're trustworthy to some degree."

After finishing her little speech, she applied more pressure to the spine of the book and pulled it back. The book tilted with a rapid clicking noise and the bookshelf began moving back into the wall. After a minute, the bookshelf was gone and they found themselves looking at some stairs leading down into a dimly lit hallway.

"A bookshelf as a hidden door. Never seen that one before." Ash remarked sarcastically.

Emma sighed.

"Mr. Looker is a nice man, but he doesn't have a great sense of creativity. Anyways, putting aside Mr. Looker's lack of creativity, this passageway leads to the labs underneath Lysandre's Café. Mr. Looker had it installed before the police closed off the original entrance."

They all entered the passageway except for Mimi, who Emma entrusted the Bureau to while they were at the labs. After making sure no one was in the way, Emma tapped in a code on a computer jutting out of the wall and the bookshelf closed. She tapped in a few more things and the lights suddenly became brighter.

"I normally keep the lights as low as possible. It keeps the electric bills down."

"Wait, what about the labs?"

"What about them?"

Ash pointed to the lights.

"If the police closed off the entrance, doesn't that mean they've cut off the power in there?"

Emma smiled.

"I said the police closed off the original entrance, but who said they were the local force? The International Police have quite a bit of influence you know."

Ash and Latias froze with jaws dropped while Emma began humming a happy tune to herself.

"That's kind of scary." Ash said quietly.

"Who knows what else they're involved in?"

They both shuddered at the thought and sped up to catch up with Emma. The passageway was barren, only giving them a stainless steel wall to look at. A few minutes of walking brought them to a large, steel door. Ash didn't see any kind of handle or computer to open it. Just as he was about to ask, Emma placed her hand on the door. The sound of gears whirring could barely be heard as the door slid open with a hiss. Ash let out an impressed whistle.

"Well, this is the room where I charge the suit." Emma said as they entered the room.

The most obvious thing in the room was the pod in the back flanked by two large machines. Emma picked up a bag off the floor and went into another room. Unsure of what to do, Ash went over to a bookshelf and picked out a book by random. Ash opened it and began reading. Latias noticed and walked over.

"What is that?"

"It's a journal about the suit Emma has. Xerosic named it the Expansion Suit for its ability to 'expand' a person's abilities."

"How does it do that?"

"It says here that in theory, the suit should increase the speed at which the mind processes information and decision making. It does this to the point where the body would react before the subject is even aware. It basically gives them a sixth sense."

Latias blinked a couple of times.

"I'm not really sure what that all means, but I can read minds."

Ash sweat dropped and pat her on the head.

"I know you can dear."

They heard some tapping and turned to find Emma in actual clothes. She had the suit draped over one arm and held the helmet underneath the other.

"I see you found Xerosic's journals."

"They weren't exactly hidden." Ash replied.

"True. Here, help me with this." She said tossing him the helmet.

She walked over to the pod and pressed a few buttons on one of the machines. The pod opened quietly and Emma pointed out where to put the helmet. Ash fit the helmet onto a circular stand and it locked into place with a click. When he was done, Emma hung the suit up and plugged in a few cords. She closed the pod once she finished and stretched her arms out.

"It's nice getting into something more comfortable after wearing that thing all day."

"Does it really work?"

"Hm?"

"The suit, does it actually make you a better fighter?"

"Oh, yeah, it does. I'm not sure exactly how, but it does. It put me on par with Calem for a bit, but he's a natural-born trainer. It was inevitable that I lost to him."

"That's incredible." Ash said looking back at the pod.

Emma nudged him in the rib.

"Don't get any ideas. That's the only suit in existence and I need it for work."

Ash chuckled and shook his head.

"Don't worry. It's cool and all, but I don't think I'd like my skills being attributed to a suit. I was just thinking about how much damage Lysandre could have done if that suit had been finished before Geosenge happened."

Emma shrugged.

"I had my own things going on while Lysandre was around. I didn't have much time to worry about him or Kalos back then. Every day was spent simply surviving. Now, you wanted some information right?"

"Oh, right! Yeah, do you know where we could find any? Like a computer or something?"

Emma thought about this for a few seconds.

"Well, there is one computer in Xerosic's room that I never bothered looking at. There's no lock on it or anything, I just never found time to really dig around. It's that room over there."

Emma pointed towards a wooden door on the opposite end of the room and Ash quickly made his way over to it. He put his hand on the handle and opened the door. The room was small. There was a bed in one corner and a large desk in the center with a computer on it. Ash could hear a light buzzing noise coming from the tower as a cord fed it power to keep running. He felt someone push him lightly and Latias came into his field of vision. She gave him a bright smile and walked on in. Ash followed after her and went around the desk. Emma leaned against the door and silently watched them. The raven haired boy pulled up the only chair in the room and put his hand on the mouse. He guided the cursor around until he found the Documents section. Clicking on it gave him quite the surprise. For a scientist, Xerosic didn't have much stuff in the computer. There were a few folders here and there, but none of them contained anything interesting. What caught his eyes and gave him a sense of foreboding, was a folder labeled 'Contingency Plan'.

"Contingency? What does that mean?" Latias asked.

"A contingency plan is similar to something of a back-up plan, but to a greater extent. It isn't just a different play on the same plan, it's an entirely new idea for when the original fails. Lysandre planned for his own failure."

Emma was interested now. She quickly made her way towards the desk and looked over his shoulder.

"Open it." She said.

Ash did.

_'Contingency Plan Z – Should the Ultimate Weapon fail or malfunction into a state of disrepair, all team members who have been entrusted with this document should adhere to the following instructions. _

_Change radio frequency to the private channel._

_Lie low and wait a few weeks before attempting to contact any higher ranking member._

_Once in contact, report to the specified location given by Command._

_Contingency Plan Z focuses on the capture and use of the legendary Pokémon, Zygarde. Zygarde, as legends have it, is the Pokémon that-'_

"Controls the balance of nature." Ash said, finishing the line.

No one said anything. They realized what was going on. The sudden snowstorm and the information they obtained about Pokémon acting strange all around the world. Lysandre had captured Zygarde.


	29. Chapter 29

Ash didn't want to believe it. The evidence was there. It was right in front of him. The circumstances were perfect, there was no other explanation, but he still didn't want to believe it. The first thing that came to mind was one question. "Why?" Not, "Why would he do this?" Ash knew that Lysandre was an idealistic man. There was nothing he could do about that. The question that ran through his mind was "Why would Arceus create a Pokémon this powerful?"

It didn't make any sense to him. He had met plenty of legendries that could have some pretty major effects on the environment, but to be able to destabilize nature itself was unthinkable. Ash was a veteran traveler. He's walked so far and through so many places that every region felt like a second home to him. He understood how important nature was. On the surface, nature and humanity appear to be two conflicting forces fighting for dominance, but Ash knew that at the core, humanity respected, no, they feared it so much that they came to terms with its power and accepted their place in the world.

The young champion shook violently in the chair. He clenched his fist tightly in an attempt to reign in his anger. He felt a hand clench his shoulder. He looked up found himself staring into Latias's amber eyes. He could see determination and a hint of fear in her eyes. Ash slowly looked back towards the computer screen and took a deep breath before placing his left hand on hers.

"It's not over yet."

That's what she was saying. She didn't speak, but Ash could tell. He nodded and collected his thoughts. They had to move, fast, but where? They had no idea where Lysandre was or where to look for clues. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of rapid footsteps. He looked up and saw Emma turn the corner into the other room. Ash hesitated before glancing at Latias. She nodded in understanding and went to check. He heard the two talking, but couldn't make out what they were saying. The young champion began opening files at random in an attempt to find something, but to no alas, he found nothing. Everything else was just notes on several different projects. Ash sighed and sat back in the chair. He closed his eyes and began to think as hard as he could. It was vital that he decipher this mystery, find Lysandre, and stop him. He was so deep in thought, he didn't even notice the ringing from his vest pocket until Latias tapped his shoulder.

"Huh? Oh!"

He fumbled getting the device out and hit answer in the process. The loud noise that came through nearly made him drop the device. He squinted at the image and could hardly make out Serena.

"Ash! Are you there?!" she yelled.

"I'm here! What's wrong?!"

"I should have known something was up back in the cave, and I'm hurt that you didn't trust me enough to tell me that Team Flare was active again! That's beside the point though, I was doing battle with a couple of them before this blizzard rolled in! They retreated and I followed them back to their base! I won't be able to face them alone! I need your help!"

Ash could hear the fear in her voice. He recalled the story she told him before. About how Calem was the hero and she was put on the sidelines with her other friends. She had never dealt with a threat of this magnitude by herself.

"I understand! Where are you!?"

"Terminus Cave, just outside of Couriway! Check your map! It's further north!"

Ash handed the device to Latias who continued talking to Serena and quickly pulled out the town map she had left with them. He opened it and squinted his eyes when he saw Couriway town.

"How do you plan on getting here in this blizzard!?"

Latias set the device on the table. Ash hesitated before answering. He had an idea, but it wasn't something he could tell her. He didn't want her to worry too much.

"I'll… think of something." He replied unconvincingly.

There was a brief moment of silence.

"Well, I'll be waiting for you."

"Wait! Serena, before you hang up!"

"What is it?"

Ash froze and gulped.

"Lysandre is in that cave. Promise me you won't enter that cave until Latias and I arrive."

"… I promise."

The call ended, but something didn't feel quite right. Ash felt something ominous about this whole situation. There was no time to worry though. He pushed the thoughts into the back of his mind and stood up.

"Is Emma gone?" he asked.

"Yes, she said she needed to help any stranded citizens or Pokémon that might have gotten caught in the blizzard. Ash, what are we going to do?"

Ash looked at his wife and his mind once more became a raging battle.

"Latias, how difficult would it be for you to teleport to a place you've never been before with an extra person."

Latias understood immediately.

"It would put me under a lot of strain. I might make a mistake and teleport us too high or too low. It all depends on the elevation of the land, but it is possible."

"If you don't want to do it, I won't force you, but it's the only way I can think of getting there."

Latias nodded in understanding and transformed in a shimmering show of blue light. She stretched her wings and motioned for Ash to stand closer. The young champion did so and Latias laid her claw on his shoulder. Ash felt the world around him distort and slip away. In a few seconds he'd be traveling through space at a speed nearly inconceivable to man. He lightly placed his hand on her claw.

"Things are heating up fast. Let's wrap this up and get back home."


	30. Chapter 30

The world disappeared. Ash felt the world slip out from underneath him as the teleportation began. It wouldn't be long until they'd be with Serena at the cave. However, something was nagging at the back of his mind. Something felt off about the teleportation.

"Latias, does something feel strange to you?"

"_**You sense it as well?"**_

Ash nodded.

"It's almost like an interference of some sort."

They both pondered the thought before Latias came to a shocking revelation.

"_**ASH! HOLD ON TI-"**_

It was too late. Ash was ripped from the travel stream. He was smashed into something hard and began tumbling down some sort of incline. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally stopped after slamming into what he assumed was the ground. The wind howled all around him as he lay motionless on the dirt. He slowly opened his eyes, but his vision was red and blurry. Intense pain was coursing through his body. The young champion carefully rolled himself over, but slipped and fell on his back causing him to gasp at the severe pain.

"_Broken ribs. I'd guess two at the very least. Left arm is in severe pain. Fractured a bone on a rock. Arceus, what the hell happened?"_

He began taking deep breaths to slow down his heartbeat.

"_Breathing is painful, but not dangerously so. Ribs didn't puncture my lungs. That's a plus."_

He took his right arm and wiped his forehead. He squinted his eyes and saw a red liquid.

"_A cut on my forehead. It's not deep, but it will bleed a lot. I need to wrap it up so it doesn't cloud my vision. I can use some snow to dull the pain."_

Ash slowly moved his right arm and grabbed a handful of snow. He pressed it against his forehead for a bit before he began ripping some cloth from his t-shirt. It was a difficult task tying it with one hand, but eventually he succeeded in making his improvised bandage. It was around this time he remembered the blizzard.

"_I need to get out of this before I freeze to death. Then I need to figure out where I am."_

He looked around and noticed a cave a few meters from where he was.

"_Talk about lucky. Actually, I just got thrown out of the teleportation and received some major injuries. I'm not that lucky right now."_

Wasting no more time, the raven haired boy slowly stood up and limped over to the cave. He went in a few meters before stopping and laying against the wall. It was warmer in the cave. Warm enough to where he wouldn't freeze to death at least. Catching his breath, he pulled out his Holo Caster and pressed the power button. Nothing happened. He sighed and put it back.

"_Busted. Hopefully the map still works."_

With that in mind he pulled the map out of his pack and opened it. It fizzled to life. He began looking for his dot and quickly found it. He chuckled lightly.

"_I'm in between Couriway and Terminus caves. That means Latias should be with Serena." _

He glanced outside and considered his options. He could try walking his way to the caves, but he probably wouldn't make it very far by himself.

"_Except I'm not by myself."_

He pulled a pokéball off of his belt and released Charizard. The orange dragon looked around a bit before noticing Ash on the ground. Ash raised his arm and Charizard helped him up. Ash leaned against the dragon and began explaining what had happened.

"And so, I need you to help me get to the caves. You have sharper senses than I do and should be able to find them easily, even in this storm. Can I count on you?"

Charizard let out a puff of flames and nodded.

"Then let's get going."

Ash situated himself in Charizard's arms. It'd be faster to simply let Charizard carry him rather than walk alongside him. Before they left the cave Ash remembered one more thing.

"By the way, Latias will also be near the caves. If you can't find the caves, try to find Latias."

Charizard nodded before stepping out into the blizzard. Ash covered his face with his right arm and squinted as they trekked through the storm. Charizard, being a Fire-type, had an extremely hot internal heat. This essentially made him a walking electric blanket. Ash didn't have to worry about freezing with Charizard carrying him. In fact, when he looked around, he noticed that the snow was melting before it could touch the large dragon. It was like having a protective bubble around them.

"I hope nothing bad happened to her." He whispered to himself.

Time wore on. The Holo Caster was broken and his Pokedex was in his pack at the moment so there was no way to know how much time had passed since they left the cave. The blizzard didn't help matters. For what felt like hours, all Ash had heard was the crunching of Charizard's footsteps and the howling of the wind. Eventually, his eyes slowly shut and he found himself in a sort of trance. He was awake, but his body felt like it was asleep.

"_**-sh"**_

What was that?

"_**Ash…"**_

There it was again. He swiveled his eyes around looking for the source of the noise. Obviously, he couldn't see anything, or, could he? Just out of view he noticed something on the ground. He mustered his strength and directed Charizard towards it. Upon closer inspection, Ash discovered it was a railway.

"_That's odd. It's too small to be for a train, so it must be some sort of track for… minecarts?"_

He began following the tracks, using Charizard for support.

"_That voice earlier, it must've been Latias. I was so out of it I couldn't make heads or tails out of what was going on. I might be able to figure out exactly where they are with my aura. Maybe something like echo location. It's worth a shot."_

Ash stopped Charizard and closed his eyes to concentrate. His aura slowly built up as he drew it in from the life forces around him. After a couple of minutes he released it all in small bursts. After nothing happened for a few minutes he was about to give up when he got a faint response. He concentrated harder and focused on the direction from which it came.

"Charizard, over there. We'll find a cave entrance."

Ash hopped into the dragon's arms and made his way towards the direction Ash pointed out.

"_**Ash!? Are you- Charizard? ASH!"**_

Ash saw something blur towards him and was barely saved by Charizard's wings.

"_**Charizard! What are you doing!?" I want to… Oh, Arceus."**_

Latias sounded like she saw a ghost.

"_**Get him in here! Quickly! Serena! Lay out a sleeping bag!"**_

Ash smiled.

They entered the cave and Serena seemed confused about the whole sleeping bag until she saw Ash. She immediately jumped up and helped set him down.

"It's not as bad as you guys think."

"Shut up." They said in unison.

Serena slowly took off the wrap in his head and began tending to the scratch while Latias hovered over him and slowly ran a Heal Pulse over him. She frowned the further she healed.

"_Your ribs…"_

"_You won't be able to fully fix them. I know. Just do your best." _Ash replied.

Latias nodded and continued in silence. After about an hour, Ash felt much better. The fracture in his left arm appeared to be healed and his bruises were nothing more than dull pains now. The only problem was his ribs. Heal Pulse, even when performed by a legendary, didn't have enough power to mend broken bones. They could move them into a better position, but Ash would have to deal with the pain until he got professional medical attention. The raven haired boy sat up and moved himself up against the rock wall.

"So any idea what we're going up against exactly?" Ash asked.

"Other than the one grunt I saw run in here, I haven't seen anything." Serena replied.

"_**There are two life signs in here."**_

Ash and Serena both looked at Latias.

"Lysandre and Zygarde."

Latias nodded. Ash sighed in frustration.

"We're at a huge disadvantage right now." He stated.

"What do you want to do?" Serena asked.

Ash shook his head.

"We can't stop. We have to keep going. If we wait any longer, the condition outside will just keep getting worse and worse. We have to stop Lysandre before he permanently throws nature out of balance."

"Is that his plan?"

Ash nodded.

"We had a look at Xerosic's computer in the old team Flare laboratory. There was a file talking about 'Plan Z'. Selected members were supposed to meet at a specified location. The location was never given in the file, but I think we can make an educated guess where they were supposed to go."

"Terminus Caves." Serena replied looking down the tunnel.

Ash nodded.

"Lysandre is going to harness the power Zygarde wields and disrupt nature. He's going to use the world against itself. I guess the grunts figured their work was done and left."

Ash stood up slowly and walked a few meters ahead before stopping. He turned his body halfway around and observed the group. There was him, an injured champion with a single Pokémon under his belt, two if he considered Latias. Then there was Serena, an old friend whose battle experience was unknown to him. From what he knew, she was only carrying Delphox with her. Suddenly, he began laughing.

"W-What's wrong?"

Ash continued laughing and had to wipe tears from his eyes. Latias and Serena gave each other confused looks.

"We are by far the most rag tag group of heroes I've ever seen and I've been through quite a bit in my time."


	31. Chapter 31

Ash took point when the group began moving further into the caves. They slowly made their way further into the caves in relative silence. The caves had an ominous feeling to them, but what made Ash uncomfortable was the lack of Pokémon to be seen.

"I don't like this one bit." He mumbled looking around for any signs of life.

"What do you mean?" Latias asked.

"We should be getting swarmed by Zubats or something, yet I haven't seen a single Pokémon since we got in here."

"And I brought all these repels too…" Serena mumbled as she dumped out a bag full of canisters.

Latias sweat dropped and Ash nodded in agreement with the young female trainer.

"While we're talking, is it alright if I ask you guys some personal questions?"

Ash glanced and Latias and they both shrugged.

"Sure, I don't see why not. Unless it has to do with our se-"

Ash suddenly fell face first into the rocks.

"Say one more word and you'll wish I was still in the Garden." Latias hissed.

Ash laughed lightly with a hint of pain.

"Alright, alright. Oww, ow, damn… Anyways, what'd you want to know?"

"How did Latias learn how to speak? I thought it was almost impossible for Pokémon to learn human speech unless it's some form of telepathy."

Ash looked to Latias, indicating she should answer. She nodded and thought about it for a few seconds before answering.

"Well, it's kind of a special case for me. As you can see, I can transform into a human whenever I want. With the body comes a voice box, but it's attuned for human speech rather than my native Pokémon language. I still had a lot of trouble learning how to speak though. Telepathy was pretty easy to learn through self-training, but it took me nearly 2 years of training with Bianca to even grasp the basics of human speech."

Latias smiled warmly.

"I remember I'd sit in Bianca's bedroom and she would have me read books to her every night. Those were some of the only happy memories I made after brother died and before Ash returned to Alto Mare."

Ash wrapped his arm around her shoulder and gave her a hug. Serena smiled at the couple in front of her.

"Do you prefer your human body over your Eon form?"

"I think it's more a question of the situation at hand. I like being in my human form when going out. It lets me talk to people on an equal footing. They see me as a human, not a Pokémon, but that's something else I love about Ash. He doesn't care whether I'm a Pokémon or not. He'll treat me with the same love and compassion as ever." She replied leaning into Ash ever so slightly.

Ash looked away with a slight blush and didn't say anything. Latias glanced at him with mischievous eyes. She grabbed one arm with the other and rose them up to stretch before pulling ahead of Ash.

"I don't know if I should feel special though. He _does _treat all of his Pokémon with special care. Maybe I'm just another."

"Now wait one minute." Ash remarked getting ready to lecture her, but Latias was already giggling.

"You two live in Pallet, right?"

Ash sighed.

"We _should _be, but I got roped into coming here as you already know. I shouldn't complain too much though. The Professor did a lot for me when I was younger, it's about time I repay the favor."

"What's it like there." She asked.

"It's amazing. It's not the most exciting town ever, but it certainly has the calmest atmosphere I've ever felt. The beautiful plains that lead to the cliff overlooking the beach along with a lively forest surrounding the town. Of course, when I was a kid I wanted nothing more than to leave. Now, now I want nothing more than to return. After all, there's no place like home."

Latias smiled and continued the little speech.

"After years of travelling, meeting new faces, new friends, and even his love, his adventure comes to a full rotation. It brought him back to where it all began. Only now, it's a little more exciting than before."

Serena smiled sadly and nodded.

"I suppose that's one question I never answered myself. What comes after? Once I achieve my dream, my lifelong goal, what then? I guess, I guess home never occurred to me."

Ash and Latias stared at her for a bit. Ash gave her a pat on the head and gave her a little smile.

"That's something you should never forget. No matter where you are in the world, you'll always be welcome somewhere. That 'somewhere' is your home. Inside, you can expect a warm meal and an even warmer welcome."

Serena nodded and wiped away a lone tear.

"You're right. After this is all over, I think I might go home for a while. I'm sure mom would love that."

Serena laughed a bit.

"Unlike you though, I got a late start on my adventure. It'll be a long time before I can even think about retiring."

Ash paused for a moment, bringing the whole group to a stop.

"How big are these caves anyways?" he asked looking around.

"Pretty large. They were dug out initially as a part of a mining operation, but the operation had to cease when the workers discovered they were bothering the local Pokemon. Small teams still come in every other once in a while to mine." Serena answered.

Ash didn't answer and instead frowned.

"This is no good. We need to find Lysandre, but these caves are… connected."

"Well, yeah?"

"No, no, I mean they're connected. That means if I use my aura, I might be able to find him. Latias could try, but I have a feeling Zygarde is interfering with her abilities."

Latias nodded in confirmation.

"Alright, here goes nothing."

Ash closed his eyes and envisioned himself floating in a ball of nothingness. Slowly, almost meticulously, he began to map out the caves. His hands began moving as if they were shaping the caves in his mind. He soon got a rough estimate of where they were.

"_That entrance is where we came from. We've come pretty far. A little more time and I should have him."_

He wiped his mind clear of any thoughts and once again began sending out aura pulses. More and more caves formed in his mind. Most of them had to have been made by Pokemon. There were far too tunnels to search. He had to find Lysandre, otherwise they'd be stuck searching these caves for months. After a few minutes of nothing more than some more caves, Ash finally picked up a reading. An extremely strong one at that. He opened his eyes and shot up making him stagger a bit from his ribs. Latias quickly steadied him.

"Did you find him?" Latias asked.

Ash shook his head.

"No, but I found Zygarde. And wherever Zygarde is…"

"Lysandre will be right beside him." Serena finished.

The young champion nodded and walked over to the wall. He felt around it a bit before finding what he was looking for. Without even trying, a pulse of energy surged through his body and blasted the wall down, revealing another corridor. Latias and Serena stared at Ash in awe; likewise, Ash was dumbstruck.

"I, uh, guess that works?" he said in a confused tone.

"W-what was that just now? Was that your aura?" Serena asked.

"I don't know, but, it seemed familiar." He muttered.

"Psywave."

Ash and Serena turned to look at Latias. They both gave her confused stares, but Ash suddenly realized what she meant and his confusion turned to amazement. Serena was still extremely confused by it all.

"What are you talking about?"

"Ash, try doing it again."

He followed Latias' command and began moving his hands across the caves wall. After nothing happened, Ash turned and shrugged.

"Maybe it _was_ my aura and it just looked like a Psywave."

"Wait, you mean you think Ash just used a Psywave attack? That's… impossible! He's just a human! Unless you two have a secret you aren't telling me."

Ash shook his head.

"We're just as confused as you are about this."

"Actually…"

Ash looked at Latias who was staring at the ground with a frown.

"What's wrong?"

"Ash, you remember when you fell off of Charizard? That, wasn't the only time your mind was in a different state." She replied.

"What are you talking about?"

"There have been a few occasions where our mental link was broken. Once, your mind rejected me so harshly it gave me physical pain."

Ash's eyes widened.

"That time on the stairs." He whispered.

The Eon nodded and continued.

"These rejections, I thought they were flukes at first. Just a bad bridging of minds. It soon became apparent that it was more than that. Your mind felt like it was changing at those moments and you were subconsciously defending it from any outside interference. It hasn't happened for a while now, but I can't help but wonder what it means and why it felt familiar."

The three stood in silence. Ash didn't feel any different, but even he knew that what he used wasn't his aura. He shook his head and walked over to the hole he created in the wall.

"There's no time to worry about it now. We've spent a lot of time talking. It's time we go stop Lysandre. We just need to follow this corridor and it should lead us right to him. Let's go."


	32. Chapter 32

Ash, Latias, and Serena moved forward through the dark caves as fast as they could. Ash's injuries slowed them down considerably, but he could still hold a good pace. It was only after Ash had used his Aura that he realized the caves they were in were massive. Both natural and man-made tunnels interconnected and went further than he could dream of. He was lucky he found Lysandre as fast as he did, but something was still bothering him.

"Latias."

Latias turned around and saw Ash wanted to speak to her. She slowed down to match his pace. While a little larger in her Eon form, Latias could more easily sense any obstacles that might pop up in front of them.

"I was thinking about what just happened before. That weird blast that came out of my hand. It's not the first time I've seen something like that."

"_**Really?"**_

Ash nodded.

"I haven't seen anything exactly like it, but I have seen things similar."

"_**Like what?"**_

"Not 'like what', like who. I know a couple of people who might be capable of powers like that. One is Sabrina, and the other is Anabel."

"_**Anabel is the one who can communicate with her Pokémon, right?"**_

"I think she called it something else, but that's the gist of it. Sabrina is a little more talented in my opinion though. She's capable of using psychic abilities. Telekinesis, telepathy, you name it, she can probably do it."

"_**You think you're gaining psychic powers?"**_

Ash shook his head.

"That's why I'm so confused. While Anabel and Sabrina were born with their powers, they still required some crazy training to master them completely. The only power I've been able to use is my Aura, which is a feat itself. I simply can't find a reason for that blast."

Ash chuckled a bit.

"Then again, we are hunting a dead man right now. I guess logic isn't a trustworthy ally right now."

Latias was about to respond when she sensed something in front of them. A lot of something too. Ash whipped his head forward and signaled them to stop. There was a slight rumbling beneath their feet and it was slowly building in intensity.

"What is that?" Ash asked.

Serena's eyes went wide.

"Ash! It's a horde of Durant!"

Ash reacted immediately. He grabbed Serena and brought her close to him.

"Latias, throw up a Protect!"

The Eon positioned herself behind them and put up a dome of bluish-green energy around them. The group calmly waited. It soon felt like an earthquake was upon them as the Durant stampeded towards them. Ash let go of Serena and placed his hands a few inches from the energy, feeding a bit of his aura into it. Latias cooed in appreciation. Ash pulled out his Pokédex and got an entry on the Pokémon as they went past them.

"Zygarde must be stirring them up even more." Ash commented as Latias took down the Protect.

Serena nodded in agreement.

"How much further?"

"Not long. Have Delphox at the ready." He replied as he unclipped Charizard's Pokéball.

At that moment, a resounding cry rang through the caves. Serena covered her ears and Ash cringed a bit.

"It sounds angry."

"_**He's in pain."**_

Ash glanced at Latias. She was staring down the cave with a pitiful look.

"We'll help him. I promise you that."

Latias nodded and took the lead once more. Despite the pain in his stomach, Ash ran as fast as he could. Serena was keeping pace with him easily enough.

"Serena, don't do anything too rash."

She looked at him in surprise.

"What?"

"Lysandre. Don't do anything too rash when we meet him. One wrong move could spell the end for us."

Serena nodded hesitantly.

"Alright."

The group emerged from the tunnel into a huge, open cave. There were machines all over the room, filling it with a constant whirring noise, but the most shocking thing was in the center of the room. Towering above them was a black and green, snake-like Pokémon. Its presence was enormous and Ash could feel an immense life force from the Pokémon.

"Zygarde." He stated.

"So my information _was _right! You did visit the old laboratory." Stated a gruff voice.

Ash held Charizard at the ready as a man in a black tuxedo and orange bowtie appeared beside Zygarde. His hair, the same color as his tie, was slicked back and a piece of cloth dominated the left side of the face.

"A scar across the bridge of your nose. You're the one I ran into at the Pokemart back in Lumiose!"

Serena looked at Ash with surprise.

"Are you sure?"

"There's no doubt about it. He called himself Andre."

Lysandre laughed at Ash's reaction.

"Yes, it's true we met in Lumiose. I could afford a bit of risky exposure since you didn't know me. Unlike that brat beside you."

Serena scowled at the man who focused his attention on Ash.

"I commend you for your persistence in pursuing me. Next time I need to cover my tracks a little better. Leaving the lab intact was a mistake on my part." He said calmly as he rested a hand on Zygarde.

"There won't be a next time." Ash replied.

"I must agree with you. There won't be a next time."

Ash brought back his arm and launched a Pokéball into the air.

"Let's show him who the boss is, Charizard!"

"Let's heat things up, Delphox!"

Charizard and Delphox both came out in a blinding flash of light. The orange reptile pounded the ground with his feet and let out an ear-splitting roar. He glared at Zygarde without a hint of fear. Delphox on the other hand seemed a little hesitant. Charizard's experience in battle was clearly showing.

"Tch. If that's how you want it." Lysandre stated as he stepped back.

"I'll show you just how strong a champion really is! Charizard, Wing Attack!"

The orange lizard leapt into the air and shot towards Zygarde with glowing wings.

"HIT HIM WITH HYPER BEAM!" Lysandre bellowed.

Zygarde shot off a hyper beam without even needing to charge it. Charizard barely evaded the beam and connected with Zygarde. This was followed up by a Fire Blast from Delphox. Serena began cheering, but was stopped when Charizard crashed into Ash with force. Serena looked up and saw Zygarde standing there with hardly a scratch.

"_**ASH! Are you-"**_

The young champion stood up slowly with Charizard and glared at Lysandre. Charizard looked even more pissed off than his trainer.

"Hit him with a combo." Ash said.

Charizard nodded and flew up once again and began attacking Zygarde from every angle possible. Delphox, under Serena's command was giving Charizard support by throwing up various shields for him and hitting Zygarde with a move here and there. Having been hit once, Charizard was being proactive as he moved, making sure his flight path was unpredictable. Ash saw an opening.

"Charizard, hit him with a Dragon Tail, now!"

Charizard, using his momentum, rotated his body before smashing his tail into Zygarde's side. The legendary Pokémon was sent crashing. Dust filled the cavern making it impossible to see. Ash tried using his Aura to get his bearings, but something was wrong.

"Having some trouble are we?" Lysandre said from across the cavern.

"I assume you're trying to use your Aura right about now, but you might as well give up now. Zygarde negates all aura abilities from creatures that are near him. I suppose I should get serious now. Zygarde, quit messing around and crush these pests."

A shockwave pulsed through the cavern and Charizard suddenly came crashing from the sky. Ash heard a cry from Serena and Delphox as well.

"Latias! Make sure those two are alright! Protect them as best you can!"

"**Understood!"**

Ash ran over to Charizard and knelt beside him. He took a pretty nasty hit and was in no condition to fight.

"You did well, return to your Poke-"

Time seemed to slow down. Ash turned his head and saw a bright light through the smoke. In one fluid motion he returned Charizard to his Pokéball and tossed it aside. A beam shot straight for him. How could he be so stupid? Of course Lysandre wouldn't wait for them to get regrouped. It was about to hit him now. He closed his eyes and asked Latias to forgive him. Everything went black.

Ash felt weightless. He was floating. Where to, he didn't know, but for now, he was floating in nothingness. It was a like a void, but it didn't scare him. In fact, he felt calm. Like nothing could go wrong. He closed his eyes once more, ready to accept it.

"_**Someone wishes to see you."**_

Ash's eyes shot open and he suddenly fell onto something hard.

"Arceus! That hurt!"

"You really shouldn't use my name like that you know. It's rude."

Ash looked up and saw a familiar face.

"Arceus?"

"Yes?"

"Then that means…"

He looked around and found himself in the same, massive room he had been in a couple weeks prior. This time however he noticed there were no orbs in the room. It was empty except for Arceus and him.

"W-why am I here? Didn't I just die?"

Arceus nodded.

"You did, but there is still work to be done. Did you really plan on accepting death, knowing your lover and friends are in danger?"

Ash flinched. He had forgotten. Something in the void must have suppressed those memories. He shook his head.

"No, I didn't. Please, send me back! I have to help them!" he screamed.

"Calm down." Arceus replied holding her hand out.

"Time here is much faster than it is on Earth. Plus, if I sent you back right now, you would die of blood loss and that would make everything we've done for you pointless."

"We?"

"Yes, we. Latios came to me with a proposition shortly before you left for Kalos. Would you like to hear it?"

Ash hesitated, but eventually nodded.

"Knowing of the dangers that lay ahead of you, Latios gave up a majority of his powers to assist you in your venture. However, events are moving much faster than anticipated and your new abilities have yet to ripen. That is why I brought you here."

Ash was quiet for a bit. After a few minutes of thought, he decided on a question.

"What will happen to Latios?"

"He is weak right now, for a legendary, but he will eventually recover his power with time. Now, on to more pressing matters. The fight does not look good. Your Charizard and your friend are no match for Zygarde."

"What can we do then? Zygarde is your son is he not? How do we beat him!?"

Arceus frowned.

"There is no sure fire way to defeat him, but if you wish to stand a chance, we will need to forcefully awaken your powers."

Ash sighed.

"Let me guess, there's a possibility of permanent side effects by forcing these powers out?"

Arceus nodded.

"Do it."

"Do you not wish to give it a little bit of thought?"

"My wife and friends are down there. I don't give a damn about the side effects."

Arceus smiled and nodded.

"Then, prepare to wake."


	33. The End

Ash's vision went black. His mind raced with thoughts. He thought about his journeys, his friends, and others he met along the way. Thinking about what he accomplished filled him with a sense of happiness. Then she came to mind. The one he loved so much he would risk everything for her. Her sleek, red and white body and those shining amber eyes. Thinking about Latias warmed his soul. He didn't want to lose any of this. No, he _wouldn't_ lose any of it.

"Ash! Answer me, Ash!" Serena screamed as she hurriedly dug out rocks.

Latias was at the other side of the cavern, keeping Zygarde's attention off of her. With Delphox in no condition to fight, Serena was a sitting duck. For now, their priority was getting Ash and getting out. Serena winced as her hands got cut up on the rocks, but the adrenaline pumping through her body numbed most of the pain. She moved a large rock with a grunt and gasped. It was Ash's hand. She grabbed it and waited. For a while, there was nothing. Serena was about to break down. Was all of this for nothing? Was it their fate to die here, at the hands of a criminal bent on destruction?

"**I won't let that happen."**

Serena looked up and around. Latias? No, it sounded more familiar. Ash? She felt a pulse. It grew stronger by the second, but there was something else. Some kind of pressure filled the air and she found it difficult to move.

"**Get down."**

Without even the slightest warning, the rocks exploded towards Zygarde. They slammed into the large Pokémon with the force of a semi-truck. The Pokémon fell with a loud cry.

"What the hell is going on now?!" Lysandre screamed turning around.

For a split second there was fear in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by rage.

"How are you alive?!" he growled.

Standing atop a rock pile was Ash. He raised his right arm and made a tight fist a couple of times before doing the same with his left. The young champion felt some sort of energy flowing through him. It felt good. He even chuckled at how good it felt.

"Don't ignore me you brat! Zygarde, hit him with Hyper Beam! And make sure it kills him this time!" Lysandre commanded angrily.

The legendary, having recovered from the surprise attack, shot a large beam of energy at Ash.

"LOOK OUT!" Serena screamed.

The blast engulfed Ash and obliterated whatever was behind him. Lysandre began laughing.

"I don't know how you survived the first one, but that should do it."

He began to turn around to take care of Latias.

"You'll have to try harder than that."

Lysandre whipped around and was met with a blast of energy that sent him flying. He slammed into Zygarde ad coughed up some blood. Ash was standing there as if nothing had ever happened to him. His clothes were torn, but his body appeared to have no scratches or bruises. . Slowly, the criminal stood up.

"How? HOW!? Urkk." Lysandre coughed up more blood.

Ash simply stood there and stared at him, waiting.

"This is impossible. You were hit by 2 Hyper Beams from the strongest Pokémon in the world. HOW ARE YOU ALIVE!?"

Ash waited a few seconds. Letting the dust settle and silence to take hold. Serena and Latias watched from the side, unsure of what was happening. Ash smiled at them both.

"Lysandre. Do you believe in God?"

Lysandre squinted his eyes.

"What are you getting at you damn brat."

"Answer the question."

"As if I would believe in God. Would a God let his world get so overrun by our filth?!"

Ash frowned and slowly began walking forward.

"Lysandre, you don't truly understand this world. Pokémon and humans live in a peaceful coexistence. Why do you want to destroy what we've worked so hard to acquire? You say you want to cleanse the Earth. You say want to reset life from the beginning. Why do you want it?"

"Because we as humans have dirtied this world. We don't belong here. All we do is create trouble, no matter where we go. Zygarde! STOP HIM!"

Zygarde's tail began glowing and swung it at Ash. The young champion stopped and raised his arm. The legendary's tail was stopped instantly. He looked up at Zygarde with a frightening stare.

"You WILL cease this violence at once. This is under order of the Chosen One." Ash said menacingly before hitting Zygarde with a blast of energy.

The Pokémon collapsed once more and Lysandre's eyes went wide.

"Impossible." He muttered.

"Arceus will no longer put up with your actions and neither will I." Ash said stepping forward.

Lysandre grabbed something from a pocket and lifted it in the air. Ash stopped moving.

"What is that?"

Lysandre smiled and looked up at him with rage filled eyes.

"A detonator."

Ash responded in an instant. He sent his energy out to Latias, Serena, and Zygarde. Lysandre pressed the button.

"This cave will a tomb for all of us!" He screamed.

They all disappeared in the flash of a light. Ash suddenly found himself falling through the sky.

"ARGHHHHH!"

He looked over and saw Serena holding onto Zygarde as they all plummeted towards the ground. An explosion went off in the distance, but Ash had more things to worry about. For some reason, he couldn't harness the powers he had moments ago.

"**I'm so glad you're alive!"**

He was tackled mid-air by Latias. He could feel himself getting crushed.

"Ok, ok. Can't breathe. Gotta help those two!" he replied.

"**Oh, right."**

Ash swung himself onto Latias' back and they flew towards Serena and Zygarde. It wouldn't be long before they hit the ground.

"Serena!"

"ASH?! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?"

"Just hold on! We're gonna help you two! Latias, I want you to land on the ground and slow them down little by little with Psychic!"

"**Here we go!"**

The two of them sped to the ground. Latias came to a halt near the ground and Ash vaulted off of her back. Latias slowly began applying Psychic to Zygarde. It wasn't long before they neared the ground. Latias gave out at the last second and the two fell the last remaining feet. Serena let out a yelp of pain as Ash helped Latias up. They all congregated in front of Zygarde who appeared to be unconscious from Ash's last energy blast. There was silence for a bit before Serena finally spoke up.

"What in the actual hell just happened then?"

Ash caught his breath and looked at Serena and Latias.

"A disappointing climax by most standards and a long story to go along with it."

They all sat around a fire as Ash explained everything that happened starting from the very beginning. The snow slowly started to melt around them, signifying nature was no longer in danger. Serena also received numerous news broadcasts stating that Pokémon all over the world were returning to their original states. There were numerous injuries world-wide, but thankfully, no casualties were reported. Serena was a bit surprised by everything Ash told her, but she accepted it all pretty well. After he was done, as if on que, Zygarde began to stir. It had a brief conversation with Latias before it left.

"Where's it going?"

"**To find a new home. It thanked us for stopping Lysandre and saving it. It also asked Ash to say hello to Arceus for it."**

Ash laughed and nodded.

"I'll be sure to do that when I get the chance."

"Oh, by the way, Ash. Here's Charizard's pokéball."

"Thanks, I knew one of you would have grabbed him for me."

"So what now? Lysandre must've died in the explosion right?"

Ash nodded.

"His presence disappeared right before we teleported. Even if the explosion didn't kill him, the injuries sustained from it would have left him helpless."

"So that's it then. We saved the world."

"I suppose so."

Ash stood up and put out the fire. The sun was starting to rise and they needed to get back to society.

"We'll head back to Lumiose and let the police know what happened. Agreed?"

Latias and Serena both nodded.

**-2 Weeks Later-**

Ash, Latias, and Serena were all relaxing outside a little café in Lumiose. Ash and Latias were leaving for Kanto later that day once Skyla arrived. Serena wanted to send them off, but she herself was needed in Shalour for repairs and would have to leave before them. While Latias and Serena were idly talking, Ash was reading the newspaper. The article talked about an explosion that occurred inside Terminus cave and the remainders of a yet to be identified body were found during a thorough inspection made by the local police force after receiving an anonymous tip. No other statements were made and it's believed that the explosion was man made.

Ash sighed and set the paper down. He still couldn't harness the power he had in the cave. He could feel it, but it wouldn't listen to him.

"Ash, hey!" Serena snapped her fingers in front of his face.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"You've been awfully quiet. Gonna say anything?"

"You have been out of it today." Latias added before taking a sip of her drink.

"Yeah, just thinking about some stuff. I'm alright."

Serena shrugged.

"So, are you gonna stick to your plan when you get back to Kanto? Settle down, leave the adventures behind?"

"I don't think I'll be able to do that being the Chosen One. I expect I'll be doing a lot more adventuring. I just hope this one here doesn't mind." He replied nudging Latias.

She giggled and pushed him away.

"You know I'd follow you wherever you go."

Ash nodded and pulled her into a one arm hug. Serena looked up at a clock and stood up.

"It's about time I get going. I need to make some progress or the Guru will have my hide."

Ash and Latias waved to her as she left. Ash felt a vibration in his pocket and pulled out his Holocaster.

"What's up?" Latias said looking at the device.

"Skyla is gonna be here earlier than expected. She wants us to make our way to the airport."

They paid for their drinks and grabbed a cab to the airport. It wasn't long before Skyla's plane was landed and they were on their way back to the Unova region.

It was a few days before Ash and Latias were finally back in Pallet town. It was nighttime so they held off on visiting family and friends. They slowly made their way to their house in soft moonlight. A light breeze was blowing through the town. When they reached their house they were greeted by a strange sight. Sitting on their doorstep was a basket.

"Who is it from?" Latias asked curiously.

Ash knelt down and read the tag on it.

'A promise is a promise.' – R. Ceus


	34. Extra 1

"Hnnnggghaa! Hnnnnnnghaa!"

There was a soft thud as Ash Ketchum, collapsed onto his rear. He leaned back and began catching his breath as the sun warmed his back. The setting sun gave the sky above him a rich orange color. Beads of sweat were running down his face and made him consider removing his shirt, but he was too exhausted at the moment to take it off. The raven haired boy raised his right hand and examined it as the thunk of a door called out to him. He turned his head a bit and saw Latias approaching him in her human form.

"Where's Delia?" Ash asked curiously.

Latias sat down beside him. "She fell asleep, so, I thought I'd come out and see what you were doing," she replied.

Ash sighed and straightened himself with crossed legs. He patted the grass in front of him and Latias positioned herself as such.

"You know how you turn invisible, right? There's a layer of down on your feathers that refracts light and gives you the appearance of being invisible. Well, when I was down in Hoenn, I was thinking about you and this idea sort of shaped itself," he explained. "What if I could replicate that phenomenon with my powers? I took this idea to Sabrina and asked her about it."

Latias crossed her arms. "Is that where you were yesterday? I was wondering where you went."

Ash clapped his hands together and bowed his head. "I'm sorry! It just seemed really important at the time!"

Latias glared at him for a few seconds before cracking a smile and giggling.

"It's okay. What did she say?"

"It's possible, in theory," Ash began, "but from what she knows, no one has ever really attempted it before."

"And that's what you've been doing all day?"

Ash stood up with a nod and helped Latias up.

"After trying all day, I finally started to make some progress. Right here," he said holding out his hand, "where the fingers begin to curl is where it reaches so far. As time goes on and I gain more and more control of my powers, it should become pretty easy to do. It sucks that Sabrina can't help me out anymore though."

Latias looked at Ash with surprise. "Sabrina can't help you?"

"She took quite a bit of time off to help me in the first place, but eventually it got to a point where Lance had to threaten her position as a gym leader if she didn't return and start battling trainers again."

"What about that other girl you told me about before? Anabeth?"

"Anabel. She wouldn't be a lot of help. All she can really do is use a limited form of telepathy. Sabrina is the only one I know that could help train me," he replied. "Alright, one more time."

Ash extended both arms out in front of him with both hands in an open and lax state. He took a deep breath and slowly let it out. A blue glow began to surround Ash and his hairs began standing on end. After a minute passed and he was comfortable, Ash motioned for Latias to come closer.

He smiled as she stepped closer to him. "It helps when I have something, or someone, to concentrate on."

Latias smiled with a light blush at this statement and decided to take it one step further. She went ahead and gently cupped his right hand in her own. Ash closed his eyes and his smile turned into a concentrated frown. Latias could sense the untamed, raw power flowing through her lover like a raging river. For him, someone who received his powers as a reward rather than being a natural born user, this kind of power would take years to tame, much less master. The Eon watched as the blue glow dimmed down and his fingertips began to slowly vanish. She carefully observed up to half of the fingers disappear before they suddenly reappeared. Ash stepped back in an attempt to balance himself, but his legs had almost completely given out. Had Latias not ben there to catch him, he would have been eating worms with a side of dirt for dinner.

Latias helped lay him down on his back and pulled out a handkerchief to dab away sweat. After a few minutes, Ash finally gathered enough strength to raise his left hand and give her a thumbs up.

"Great… Success…" he said in between breaths. "Now... I need to take a nap."

Before she could say anything, Ash was already snoring away in his dream land. As she was cleaning some more sweat off of his forehead, there was a soft thunk behind her. She turned and saw a smaller, much younger Latias.

"Delia! What are you doing out here?"

Delia gave her a shrill cry in response and flew over to her father. The young Latias nudged his arm over and lay down beside him. Latias smiled at the scene and decided to follow suit. Without much effort, Latias changed forms and lay down beside Ash. As Latias was about to fall asleep, a warm breeze blew through the town of Pallet like it did every day. It was this predictability that allowed such a peaceful, loving town to exist. A town she was proud to call home.

**A/N: I was reading a story when a scene popped into my head. I thought I'd write it out as an extra. The idea Ash had is using the principle of refracting light and applying it to a layer of energy that he would apply to himself. The process would be double-tasking as he has to hold the energy around his body as well as making it refract light. This would give him the same type of invisibility effect Latias and Latios get from the down on their feathers.**


End file.
